


The Truths We Live

by so_bi_the_way



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:47:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 31,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24581035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/so_bi_the_way/pseuds/so_bi_the_way
Summary: While the dust from their battle with Horde Prime is finally settling, Catra, Adora, and the other members of the Rebellion still have a lot of healing and growing to do. There are still secrets about She-Ra that Adora has avoided bringing up, and past relationships neither of them has built up the courage to discuss. This is a multi-chapter story that will span from the night after their victory to their future children. Other ships/tags will be added as and if they become relevant.
Relationships: Adora & Angella (She-Ra), Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Angella (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Angella & Shadow Weaver | Light Spinner (She-Ra), Angella/Shadow Weaver | Light Spinner (She-Ra), Bow & Glimmer (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra)
Comments: 99
Kudos: 241





	1. The Battles We Win

The night after the battle with Horde Prime felt no different than many nights before, which in itself felt surreal to Adora. Years of strenuous training, mental anguish, and lost lives seemed to have boiled over her emotions so greatly that the grand finale felt...anticlimactic. Exhausting, yes, but a huge part of the blonde believed she’d wake up the next morning to another epic threat to the planet and entire universe.

“Hey, Adora?” She jolted a bit at the sound of her name but relaxed as a soft and padded hand grasped onto hers. Looking over at the dual-colored eyes of her companion, Adora felt herself melt just the slightest.

Catra’s head was tilted to the side, a lopsided grin planted across her face as she gave Adora a quizzical look. It was then that the First One realized she must have been staring off in silence for a few elongated moments. She shook her head, returning a soft gaze.

“I’m fine. Sorry just...still trying to process everything I guess.”

Catra snorted. “Well, you’re staring off like a dork. Sparkles and the others already headed back to the castle for the after party. Wanna join?”

Adora took in a deep breath, closing her eyes and gripping her partner’s hand a little tighter. “Let’s...let’s watch the sunset a little longer, if that’s all right.”

_________________

“What do you mean there aren’t anymore chocolate eclairs?!”

“I didn’t say there _weren_ _’_ _t_ any. I said you’ve had enough.”

“Bu...Netossa!” Frosta folded her arms across her chest, effectively wrinkling the top half of her dress.

“Netossa’s right, Frosta. Remember there are other people at the party,” Spinerella calmly explained, placing a motherly hand on the young princess’s shoulder and smiling. “How about once Adora and Catra arrive, and everyone is here, you can have another o-“

“There they are! Yes!” Frosta nearly shouted as the prior Horde soldiers entered the hall, pumping her arms up in the air and charging toward an unsuspecting servant carrying a tray of eclairs. Spinerella sighed, perking up only once Netossa laid a kiss on her cheek.

Across the room, Adora clung to Catra’s arm, chiding herself for feeling so out of place for the first time since she arrived in Brightmoon years ago. Everything felt...different. The air, the surroundings, her relationship with Catra — all aspects of her life were moving forward at a breakneck pace and she was holding on for dear life.

“I love the attention, but you’re going to tear a hole in my jacket sleeve if you tug on it any harder with that She-Ra strength.” Catra chuckled as Adora untangled herself, cheeks dark red. “You doing alright? I mean, all previous events of the day considered?”

“I’m just on edge, I guess. Everything is moving so quickly, it’s just...hard to keep my head above water.” The blonde fidgeted a bit, twirling the necklace dangling from her neck a bit between her fingers. “I mean, with everything going on and Castaspella throwing this ball _right_ _after_ we won I just...we haven’t even been able to talk about this,” Adora confessed as she gestured between herself and Catra.

She expected Catra to throw herself into an angry fit — _what did she **mean** they needed to talk?! _But when Adora was only met with a light laugh, she furrowed her brow in confusion.

“You big dummy, of course we’ll talk. But,” Catra began, taking Adora’s and within her own, “I love you. And I know now that you love me. I’ve waited so long for this that I think I’ll be okay working on the details later. We’ll talk as soon as this is over. I promise.”

Adora snorted, using her shoulder and shoving Catra. “Who’s the dork now? But, thank you. Now, let’s go have some fun.”

“Now we’re talking! Princesses? Not _really_ my thing. But parties?! Oh, you shoulda _seen_ the one we threw in the Crimson Waste! Scorpia and—“ Catra cut herself short, averting her eyes as she and Adora walked deeper into the party and chuckling awkwardly. “I guess you and I aren’t the only ones that probably need to talk.”

“I gotta say, you’ve really matured the last few weeks. Maybe the Best Friend Squad has been rubbing off on you.”

Catra’s tail sprung upright and she snarled, shoving her hands into her jacket pocket. “Shut up.”

“Besides,” Adora began, ignoring Catra’s previous instructions, “I think talking to her will be relatively easy and quick.”

“What do you—“ Catra gasped for air, her body suddenly lifted off the ground and crushed between two very large and muscular arms.

“Wildcat! Oh, I know I just saw you and hugged you, but oh _gosh_ I’ve been so worried about you since...well, since forever, but mostly recently! I just...oh, _oh_ I’m crushing you, okay back on the ground you go. Sorry about that,” Scorpia apologized meekly, allowing Catra her claw to rebalance herself and take a much need breath.

“H-Heh...it’s...it’s great to see you too, Scorpia.” Catra expected a further onslaught of apologies — of doting physical touches to either fix her mane or straighten her tie — so when they never came, the brunette looked back up at Scorpia in mild confusion. The princess was simply smiling down on her and while most people would have missed the difference, it was not lost on Catra.

 _“She values herself.”_ There was no over-the-top-please-forgive-me routine, and it made Catra’s heart burst with happiness (though she’d never admit it to anyone except maybe Melog).

“There you are! I brought you some tea — special blend, it’ll help with any headaches from the chipping!” Perfuma approached the group, saddling up next to Scorpia and handing off a steaming mug. It took a moment before she noticed the other two guests and gave a smile. “Greetings Adora! Catra.” It was polite and perky, yet Catra sensed the slight distrust still in her voice.

By the way she looped arms with Scorpia, Catra couldn’t blame Perfuma for giving the slight cold shoulder. She had a lot of relationships that needed a bit of mending in the upcoming days and weeks while normalcy began to fall over everyone.

_________________

“Why are you walking _so_ close to me?”

“I’m not _that_ close.”

“Your tail is brushing my calves.”

“Your...sparkles are all up in my face. Besides, maybe it’s Melog’s tail.”

Glimmer rolled her eyes and sighed, ignoring the mischievous grin Catra was giving her from her side and the meow of protest from Melog. Continuing their trek down the various halls of the castle, a sudden tension began to fill the air. Before the brunette could question it, she noticed a large mural on the far wall, godly in both size and beauty.

 _“Queen Angella,”_ Catra realized, a pang of dread radiating down her body. Without turning fully, her eyes darted over the the current queen. Glimmer’s gaze was locked ahead, jaw clearly clenched as her pace picked up. It was obvious she was avoiding acknowledging the mural at all costs, a gesture Catra both appreciated and felt completely guilty about. Sensing her imprint’s inner turmoil, Melog nuzzled her body into Catra’s leg and gave an encouraging lick.

They continued walking in awkward silence for a few more minutes before Glimmer abruptly stopped in front of a plain looking door, the sudden inertia causing Catra to stumble a bit. “Here we are — this’ll be your room as of next week.”

“Next week?”

Glimmer frowned, opening the door to reveal a giant hole to the outside, furniture barely recognizable in its torched state. “Unless you’d _like_ to sleep here, maybe feels more like the Horde?” She smirked before closing the door once more. “The castle wasn’t _completely_ safe during the Horde Prime attack, we have some rebuilding.”

“So, Melog and I should just what? Sleep with you till then?” Catra wiggled her brow, snorting at the blush that passed across the queen’s cheeks.

“Tch, you wish.” Glimmer grinned, leaning close to Catra, the latter’s ears pinning back. “I just assumed you and Adora would be fine sharing a room and _bed_ for now. I mean, since you _love_ each other so much.”

Catra hissed and shoved Glimmer lightly, crossing her arms and grunting. “When did she...when did she even have time to _tell_ you about all that?!”

Glimmer shrugged. “She didn’t, but _you_ just confirmed that _something_ happened.”

“I’d storm off right now if I had any idea where I was going.”

Melog cried out, chattily verbalizing a variety of different tones before turning toward Catra and cooing. Catra laughed, patting her on the head.

“Yeah, she really is.”

“What did she say?!”

“Show me where Adora’s room is and _maybe_ I’ll tell you.”

Glimmer groaned loudly before gripping Catra’s hand and dragging her down the hall. “You’re infuriating.”

Catra allowed herself to be pulled for a few moments before biting her bottom lip in contemplation, opening her mouth a few times in an attempt to speak before finally building the courage to. “Hey, Sparkles?”

“What?”

“Did you tell Adora anything? You know about...our time on the ship?”

Though Glimmer’s stride didn’t slow, Catra could tell she stumbled a bit before seamlessly recovering, her face dark red. “N-No, I hadn’t. I haven’t...told Bow either. It’s not...it’s not like it happened while any of us were...together. It’s not _that_ big a deal.”

“So you’re not going to-“

Glimmer spun on her heels suddenly, Catra smashing into her. “I didn’t say that, and don’t you _dare_ say anything to Bow. I just...haven’t had the chance to mention it yet to him.”

Catra put her hands up in defense, taking a step back. “I won’t, I won’t. Just...I’m going to tell Adora tonight. I don’t want to fuck this whole thing up right at the start.”

She expected any number of reactions, but when Glimmer laughed in her face, Catra was thrown for a bit of a loop. “I’m _positive_ she has things to tell you too, Horde Scum. And you’re right. You...should tell her. Just...make sure she doesn’t say anything to Bow before I can, alright?”

Catra wanted to question what Glimmer was so ‘positive’ about, but she decided to pick her battles. Nodding, she allowed herself to be dragged through the halls once more.

______________

A knock on her door jolted Adora out of her own deep thoughts, causing her to drop her hair brush against the countertop of her vanity. “C-Come in!”

She turned in her chair as she heard someone enter, face softening as Melog came barreling over to her. Adora giggled as the space feline hoped onto her lap, barely fitting but making herself comfortable nonetheless.

“You’d think she imprinted on you rather than me,” Catra joked from the doorway, making her way toward Adora and sitting on the edge of the bed to face her. She yelped as she sunk deep into the cushioned mattress. “What the hell?!”

“You get used to it,” Adora chuckled, scratching behind Melog’s ear with one hand and finishing her nightly hair routine with the other. Only a few more brushes and her hair would be....half as flawless as She-Ra’s. _Jeez, maybe she really did have hair envy like Netossa said._

“Yeah, there’s a _lot_ of things I have to get used to.” Catra adjusted her positioning on the bed till she could perch more comfortably, tucking her tail around her body.

They fell into a comfortable silence as Catra watched Adora finish combing her hair, the prior unable to keep a gentle smile from forming on her lips. After everything they had been through, after all of the heartbreak she had not only caused, but experienced as well, the feline couldn’t believe she was lucky enough to finally have the love she had so long desired.

“Hey, Adora, what happened to your back?”

The girl in question tensed, not having realized her back was exposed in her current nightgown. Placing her brush down and shooing Melog off her lap, Adora stood and turned toward Catra. “You mean the uh...the scars?”

Catra nodded, sensing the change in atmosphere and standing as well. She gestured for Adora to turn around, brushing blonde hair out of the way and freezing once the expanse of her shoulder blades were exposed. “O-Oh...”

Pale and smooth lines, varying in width, painted themselves down Adora’s back, traveling even to the parts covered by the low-cut nightgown. Catra bristled at the memory — _she_ caused these. _She_ hurt Adora.

 _“But...but I scratched **She-Ra**_. _I’d...I’d never...”_

“You can touch them,” Adora began, looking back over her shoulder, “they don’t hurt.”

Reaching out with a shaky hand, Catra ran her fingers down each scar until her fingers hooked on the edge of Adora’s nightgown. She swallowed, cursing her hormones for starting to rile up even when she was feeling such guilt.

“I...I never meant to hurt you.”

Adora scoffed. “Well, you had me fool-“

“ _Adora_. I never meant to hurt _Adora_. She-Ra was....wasn’t _you_.”

“Catra...”

“I know, I know. And I get it, you are Adora. And you _are_ She-Ra. I just...it was easier to blame She-Ra.”

Adora turned to face her partner, taking her hands within her own before pulling Catra into a tight embrace. “I forgive you, Catra. You don’t need to keep holding on to so much pain. You...you hurt people, but...but there’s still time to fix the damage you’ve done.”

Catra gripped Adora like her life depended on it, retracting her claws as to avoid hurting her any further. “But...but what about Angella?” She nearly sobbed out.

Adora stiffened — she knew what Catra was referring to, but she had tried with every ounce of her body to avoid thinking about it, at least for the first few weeks of Catra’s introduction to non-Horde society. It hurt too much to think about it, to think about how someone she...

The blonde shook her head to clear her thoughts — it wasn’t think right time to be thinking about that.

“Catra...I...” Before she could continue, Catra abruptly wiggled her way out of the embrace, taking a step back and using the back of her hand to wipe away any tears.

“I’m sorry, I’m...I’m being... _me._ I’m not the one would should get to be sad right now.”

Adora leaned forward, kissing Catra’s cheeks twice — once below each eye. She pulled away, but only by a few inches. “I happen to _like_ you. Even...even _love_ you. You’re...my...girlfriend, this isn’t a black and white issue anymore. We all have a lot of healing, including you.”

Catra’s ears twitched at the word ‘girlfriend’, but she put up no argument. She sniffled for a moment before capturing Adora’s lips with her own.

They had a lot they needed to talk about, but for the evening they decided it better to revel in each other’s company, and each other’s arms. Still fully clothed, Catra held Adora till sleep finally overcame her, and for the moment she felt truly... _at peace_.


	2. The Secrets We Keep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A visit to Dryl proves to be informative for the Best Friend Squad.

_Sweat gathered at the nape of her neck, muscles taunt as she gripped harshly at her partner’s hips from behind. Each thrust was met with a mix of a mewl and moan, goading her to go harder, rougher,_ **_deeper_ ** _._

_“Fuck...Catra...”_

_“What’s wrong, princess? Too tight for you? Just don’t crush my tail.”_

_Adora — or rather,_ **_She-Ra_ ** _— wrapped her arms under Catra’s body and hooked her hand on the brunette’s shoulders, giving herself the extra leverage she so desperately needed and wanted. The blonde dropped her head to rest between soft shoulder blades, her breath hot and ragged as she neared completion._

_“Catra, I...I’m gonna...”_

_“Do it. Cum in me,_ **_She-Ra_ ** _.”_

Adora was jolted out of her slumber, sheets drenched in sweat and tossed carelessly to the ground. How bad was she tossing and turning? Looking around the room, she noticed she was alone — Catra was always an early riser, Adora assumed she had decided she was hungry and went looking for food. 

The princess let out an elongated breath, bringing a hand to her head to ease the throbbing in her temples and _oh god why was there throbbing somewhere else right now._

Jumping out of bed and rushing to the mirror, Adora groaned as she was met with the reflection of a much taller, and much more bulky version of herself. It had been a few weeks since she had last unintentionally transformed like this, and it hadn’t been the first time thoughts of Catra caused it.

_“Maybe it’s just a regular transformation. No need to jump to worst case without...”_ Adora’s thoughts trailed as she looked down at her reflection’s body, sighing when her view was met with a certain bulge that had most definitely _not_ been there last night. _“Stupid First Ones. Stupid...stupid species conservation failsafe.”_ Lifting her gaze once more and meeting her own eye-line in the mirror, she shuddered at the flickers of red present in her irises. _“Stupid Catra corruption.”_

Great, now she was thinking about Catra again and was back at square one.

_____________

The first hour she was awake, Catra simply held Adora in her arms and ran her fingers through blonde locks. It was tranquil, both the feeling of being so close to the one she loved as well as knowing that for once she was waking up to a day of no prior commitments. No training, no strategy meetings, and absolutely no immediate threat to the universe.

She would’ve been content spending the entire early hours of the day cuddling, but once Adora kicked her in her sleep, it became increasingly less relaxing. In an effort to avoid waking her girlfriend in her now irrational hissy fit, Catra carefully slinked out of bed and out the door. 

Tucking her dress shirt from the night before back into the waistband of her pants, Catra used a hallway window’s reflection to slick her hair back as much as possible. Sure, she’d bathe at some point today, but she didn’t need to look messy on her first lone walk through the halls of the Brightmoon castle.

Usually when Catra was alone for too long she grew restless — the result of years depending on Adora followed by constant attention from Scorpia — yet for once, the reflective quiet was pleasant. As she turned yet another corner in the endless number of halls that made up the castle, she stiffened when she realized where her legs had taken her.

Placing a hand against the cold, hard marble of the mural, Catra looked up until her eyes locked with those of the prior queen of Brightmoon. A lump quickly formed in her throat as tears pricked the corners of her eyes — _why did she have to pull that lever? Why didn’t she listen to Entrapta? Why did she_ ** _betray_** _Entrapta? Why did she treat Scorpia like shit? Why—_

Catra dropped to her knees, burying her face in her hands and doing everything to keep the small bit of composure she had left. She knew she had been in a bad place mentally after the portal, it wasn’t a secret that she was slowly succumbing to physiologically-scarring anger. There were so many things she had done wrong — things that caused her sleepless nights — and she fully intended to show the ones she had hurt that she had changed. But how was she ever, in a million life times, supposed to bring a person back from the dead?

Or well, from between two dimensions, as Glimmer had harshly specified during one of their many imprisoned arguments over Shadow Weaver. _“Oh what, you’re upset I don’t_ ** _hate_** _her? She’s not the one who trapped my_ ** _only_** _parent between two realms!”_

And not a _person_ per say, more an immortal being.

_“Wait...”_ Catra’s tears abruptly stopped as she looked back up at the mural, vision a little clearer. 

_____________

“Where have you been? The kitchen’s been serving breakfast already for half an hour!” Glimmer eyed Adora as she entered the dining hall, slicing off another piece of her pancakes before plopping them into her mouth.

“I had a...late start.” The blonde felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge as Glimmer’s laughter echoed through the room.

“It happened again?! Jeez Adora, can’t keep it in your pants?” The queen dodged a flying breakfast biscuit before teleporting herself right behind Adora, gripping her shoulders and leaning in next to her ear. “Catra got you riled up?”

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Oh, absolutely.” Glimmer stuck her tongue out before moving back to her seat, finishing off her meal just as Adora received hers from the help. “Besides, given your past... _relationship_ , I think I’m allowed to harass you as I see fit.”

“Yeah, about that, I still haven’t...”

“Told Catra? _Shock_. I can hear the jokes now. ‘Jeez, are you sure I’m _old_ enough for you? I didn’t realize Shadow Weaver caused _this_ many mommy-issue-’” Dodging another pastry, Glimmer threw her hands up in protest. “Well, what do you expect?! Would you rather she reacted like _I_ did?!”

Before Adora could rebuttal, a crash in the hallway caused both girls to jump. Giving each other a quick look, they sprung out of their seats, donning battle-ready poses in a blink of an eye. Just as they were ready to charge, a familiar figure came barreling into the room, followed closely behind by her feline companion.

“G-Guys,” Catra began, keeling over and holding her knees in an attempt to catch her breath, “I...I know how to...how to get Queen Angella back.”

A mix of emotions filled the air, each of the three girls radiating a very different reaction. After a moment of silence, Catra stood back up, brow furrowed at the confused/excited/conflicted stares she was receiving.

“Uh, hello? This...this is a good thing, right?”

“Of course it is, you dolt!” Glimmer shouted, her grin from ear to ear as true realization began to set back in. “You can’t just drop information like that and not give me time to process!” Teleporting over to Catra, she planted a loud kiss on her cheek. “Well, what’s the plan then? What do we-“

Glimmer’s words started to drown out around Adora as the blonde sat in dumbfounded surprise.

_____________

Staring up at the great pillars of Dryl’s castle, Glimmer bounced on the balls of her feet with great excitement, nearly cutting off all circulation to Bow’s arm as her grip on it grew tighter and tighter. The archer showed no signs of being bothered though, beaming from ear to ear.

“Okay, so what now? Lemme guess, Entrapta is in on the plan, right? _Totally_ makes sense!” Glimmer exclaimed, trying to keep her composure as much as possible.

Catra tilted her head to the side, ears lopsided as she furrowed her brow at the queen. “Part of? She _is_ the plan.”

A deafening silence settled over the group, Adora having just _finally_ caught up after the others had booked it once they picked up Bow. “Remind me...” Adora began, short of breath, “why we couldn’t have teleported here?”

“What do you _mean_ she is the plan?!”

“What do you mean what do I mean?!”

“Catra, you said you had a plan to get my mom back!”

“Yeah and who can get her back better than Entrapta!”

Glimmer released Bow’s arm, hands clenched angrily by her sides as she sized Catra up — chest to chest, nose to nose. “Asking someone for a plan is _not_ a plan!”

“Did any of _you_ think to ask her?!” Catra smirked at the lack of response, puffing herself up a little further in an attempt for intimidation. Bow and Adora exchanged a look, hoping their respective girlfriends would avoid ripping each other’s throats out. “That’s what I thought. Now come on Sparkles, chop chop with the transporting.”

Groaning — or more specifically, _growling_ — Glimmer put a hand on Bow and Adora before proofing out of view and into the castle. Catra rolled her eyes and looked down where Melog had previously been — _damn it, Adora must have grabbed her at the last second_.

Adora stumbled for a moment when they finally appeared within the walls of the castle and only a few feet from Entrapta’s workstation — teleporting without warning was one of her _least_ favorite things, and it made her understand how Catra found the whole thing nauseating. 

“Friends! What a surprise! Unless...” Entrapta began after turning toward the group, flipping her mask up to rest atop her head, “you aren’t some sort of holograms I forgot I was working on, right?” She lifted her recorder to her lips, using a tendril of hair to click the machine to life. She jabbed Adora in the stomach. “Holograms _seem_ to be much fleshier than the previous prototypes.”

The blonde swatted away the probing hand and rolled her eyes with a smile on her face. “It’s really us, we just wanted to- wait a minute, ‘ _previous prototyp-‘_ “

“Anyhoo!” Entrapta interjected, flipping her protection gear back down and turning her back to her friends to begin welding, sparks flying all around her. “Was there something you needed?”

As excited as Glimmer was at even the _possibility_ of having her mother returned to her, verbalizing the request suddenly felt awkward and unrealistic. She hesitated for a moment, but once she felt Bow’s hand reassuringly rest against her lower back and saw the kind smile he gave, she knew regardless of what could and _might_ go wrong, she’d still have him in her corner.

“Entrapta, do you remember when you mentioned...that someone would be trapped between dimensions? You know, after the portal incident?” Glimmer could tell it was still a painful memory for the tech-princess, her hair stopped its multiple tasks immediately and though she was still turned away, it was obvious she had lifted her head to look ahead. “Well, as you...as you might know, it was...it was the previous queen, my...my _mother_ who...”

Glimmer let her words hang in the air, feeling a knot form in her stomach and realizing she hadn’t given Entrapta the proper chance to process what she was asking. Adora placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder, taking a step forward closer to scientist and clearing her throat.

“Is it possible to bring her back?”

There was a pause — Entrapta’s shoulders rose and then fell again, clearly indicating a deep and much needed breath. After a moment, her hair and hands returned to their previous tasks at full speed. “Of course it is! I never said the person would _die_ , did I? The Rebellion should really listen a bit better.”

“Wha- Entrapta, that’s...that’s fantastic! Wait, why didn’t you-“

“Try it before?” Entrapta questioned, cutting Glimmer off as she spun in her chair and removed her mask, placing it on her workbench and standing. “Well, I was on Beast Island, then I was _maybe_ a prisoner of Brightmoon, but then Glimmer went missing and we had to fix Darla — which was a _pleasure_ — and then there was the battle, and well...she’s not going anywhere, Queen Angella I mean. It seemed there were a _lot_ of other higher priority issues.” She shifted on her feet, looking a bit uncomfortable. “Was, was that wrong?”

The princess jumped the slightest bit as Bow’s hand came to rest on her shoulder. The archer smiled at her, instantly relaxing any insecurities Entrapta may have had in the last few minutes. “No Entrapta, not at all. We’re...sorry. We know we ask a lot of you.”

“There’s no need for apologies in science!”

The lab doors slid open, revealing a very angry, _very_ drenched Catra followed closely behind by Hordak. Adora swallowed — she had seen that look before, usually right before her girlfriend punched something. Or kicked it. Or bit it. Or all three.

“I _insist_ you take this towel and dry yourself. You are tracking water everywhere,” Hordak chided, clearly trying to keep his composure in what could only be described as an awkward encounter for both of them. Catra continued ignoring him, walking directly up to the other members of the Best Friend Squad and aggressively shaking herself dry, effectively soaking Bow, Glimmer, and Adora.

“W-What...why are you even...what was that for?!” Adora questioned, flicking her wrists in an attempt to remove some of the water from her skin.

Fur adequately dry yet extremely fluffed, Catra bared her teeth. “For making me have even the _slightest_ bit of alone time with _him_!” she snarled, pointing at Hordak and throwing him a glare. When she turned back around, her frown deepened at the wide-eyed and soft expression Bow was giving her. “What?!”

“You...look...so... _soft_!”

“Ugh, can we....can we just...” Catra massaged her temples, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before continuing, “can we get on with the mission? Please?”

“Her second mission!” Glimmer and Bow cooed, each throwing an arm around Catra and poking her cheek gently.

_Click_. “Catra seems to have allowed more than Scorpia to enter her self-declared ‘personal space’. While it is assumed Adora is allowed within its walls, more observation may be needed as to who is authorized access.”

“Okay, enough of all of this.” Catra shrugged off Glimmer and Bow’s affections, straightening out her outfit and saddling up to Entrapta. “So, you can do it? I’m assuming Sparkles and the Glitterbunch already asked?”

“Well, it _is_ possible. But, I never said I could do it.” Entrapta, noting the disgruntled and confused look on her friends’ faces, pursed her lips. “Though, I do sense that I may have implied it. There _is_ good news though! As you may recall, the portal failed because it was unstable. _But_ I have reason to believe that if I incorporate some of Horde Prime’s tech, I can stabilize it more adequately. My new lab partner has been of much use in understanding the technology and code!”

Hordak averted his eyes, frowning. “It is disappointing you would rely on someone at such an inferior level such as—“

“Brothers!” a voice cheered from the doorway, Wrong Hordak clasping his hands together and beaming as he entered the lab. “What a pleasant surprise to see my fellow Horde Prime revolutionaries! Have you come to celebrate our victory once more? I did enjoy the activity you all call ‘dancing’ last night!”

“Our friends are here to request our help in multidimensional activities!” Entrapta informed, using her tendrils to make her way toward Wrong Hordak, leaning up and giving him a reassuring pat on the head. “I was just telling them how helpful an assistant you’ve been!”

“Let’s not forget he broke one of your tiny mugs!” Hordak nearly shouted, causing the hair on Catra’s tail to spike out in subconscious fear. She grabbed her appendage and smoothed it back down before petting the top of Melog’s head to calm her companion as well.

“Yes, but I then crafted a replacement myself!” Wrong Hordak corrected, gesturing to a crudely made ceramic piece on Entrapta’s work bench. The writing on the side read, ‘Nuts For Bolts’.

Sharing a similar expression of mild amusement and max discomfort, the Best Friend Squad tried to ignore the lopsided grin and dark blush that covered Entrapta’s face.

“Uh, Entrapta?” Glimmer finally said after clearing her throat. “The portal?”

“Yes! Right!” And in a flash, Entrapta was back in scientist mode and pulling out multiple blueprints from her desk. “Well, it will take a week or so to figure out all the kinks, possibly more if I need to purchase or build any new parts. I’ll send Wrong Hordak to get you once it’s complete!”

“I could also—“

“Wrong Hordak is preferred,” Catra specified, shutting down Hordak’s protest quickly.

“Excellent! Well then...goodbye!” Entrapta turned back to her desk and immediately started on her new project, hands and hair moving a mile a minute. 

“Alright, teleport back?” Glimmer questioned, rubbing her hands together before placing one on Bow’s shoulder and the other on Catra’s.

“Oh, wait, Adora! Since I have you — how is that concoction I gave you working out?” Entrapta asked, still deep in her work.

“Concoction?” Catra questioned, brow furrowed as she placed a hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder and one on Melog. Adora looked blankly back at the brunette, face pale and unable to properly form a sentence.

“For She-Ra — you know, the reproductive failsa-“

“Ah ha ha ha, always a pleasure Entrapta! Okay Glimmer, can we teleport now—“ Adora began, ignoring the smug grin the queen threw her way before transporting them out of Dryl mid-sentence. 

_____________

She knew she shouldn’t be so upset — it wasn’t like she had been completely honest with Adora about her time on Horde Prime’s ship yet. But the more Catra thought about whatever the hell Entrapta had been talking about, the fur on her scruff stood on edge and her ears pinned back. To make matters worse, of _course_ it was a She-Ra secret, because why could nothing be simple when it came to the blonde.

Adora had come up with a thin reason to excuse herself as soon as they returned from Dryl, and while Catra wanted nothing more than to interrogate her on this ‘corruption’ issue, the feline figured sifting through her girlfriend’s belongings was just as effective. Rocking on her heels and surveying the room, Catra tried calculating the most likely location for this supposed ‘concoction’.

Melog nudged Catra’s leg, a string of protesting mewls soon following. “I’m not _stealing_ anything, have a little more faith in me!”

“Prrrrrrrr?”

“I’m just...I’m worried, alright? Lemme just do my thing.”

Melog puffed herself up and hissed, circling a few times before curling up on the ground and giving Catra the cold shoulder. Ignoring her companion, the former Horde soldier began rummaging through the various drawers and shelves in Adora’s room.

_“Princess Prom invitation, tiny Adora strategy figure, broken old sword — jeez, does she keep_ ** _everything_** _?!”_ Sifting through some of Adora’s clothing, Catra’s hand slipped across a folded piece of parchment. _“Hmm, why’s this hidden so well?”_

Carefully pulling out the piece of paper and unfolding it, the brunette was barreled over by a wave of emotions. Looking back at her was a perfect and clean etching of the carving from their bunk beds back in the Horde— Catra’s crude doodles somehow looking improved once copied onto a new home.

_“God, what am I doing?”_ Catra sighed in resignation, slowly and with the utmost care folding the paper once more and returning it to the drawer. _“I shouldn’t have—“_ The sound of glass rattling as she closed the dresser caused her to pause. _“Well, I’ve come this far.”_

Fishing around for the source of the noise, Catra soon pulled out a medium-sized vial of dark green liquid, a tiny sketch of Entrapta imprinted on the side. Bringing it closer to her face for further analysis, her pupils expanded almost immediately, dual colored irises almost nonexistent. 

_“What the_ **_actual_ ** _fuck is this?”_

“What are you doing in here?” Catra’s head snapped to the door, her ears completely flat and tail upright and large. Adora stood, arms crossed over her chest in amusement — at least until she noticed the vial in her girlfriend’s hands. In a flash, the blonde rushed over and retrieved the bottle back, taking a few steps away from the wide-eyed girl.

“Adora, what _is_ that?”

“Why were you going through my stuff?!”

“Let me smell it again!”

“Wh-What?! No! You shouldn’t even know it exists!”

The admittance of secrecy knocked Catra out of her stupor for a moment, her head clearing and thoughts going back to She-Ra and the reason she was in Adora’s room in the first place. “Does it have to do with that corruption thing Entrapta mentioned?”

Adora bristled, shoving the vial in her jacket pocket and avoiding eye contact with Catra. “Don’t worry about it, I have it under control.”

“Have _what_ under control?”

“It doesn’t...it doesn’t matter!”

“It does matter when you’re keeping it a secret! Entrapta said something was ‘reproductive’ and ‘corrupt’? Is there like...a second, evil She-Ra?”

“ _I’m_ the corrupt one, Catra!” Silence fell over the pair as Adora’s statement floated between them. _Shit, this was not how she envisioned telling her girlfriend._

Adora shuddered as Catra took a step closer, placing a hand on the blonde’s cheek and forcing her to meet her gaze. “Adora, if something is wrong, I want to know,” she began, scoffing, “You know, mostly so I can kick whoever’s ass hurt you.”

“That’s...that’s the problem. It’s...it’s from you.”

“This...this isn’t funny, Adora.” The girl in question grabbed Catra’s hand when she tried to retract it.

“Remember our fight, in the Northern Reach? When you—”

The color in Catra’s face dissipated — _not only had she scarred Adora’s back, she corrupted her?_ “Y-Yeah...I remember.”

“Weird things started happening, a week or so after that. Weird...things, with my body.”

“Like, you went crazy again? You didn’t...hurt yourself or anything by mistake, right?”

Adora let out a slight chuckle, finally bringing Catra’s hand down to her side and simply holding it. “No, nothing like that.” She took a deep breath and looked around the room, almost as though hoping something would give her an out from this conversation. _You have to tell her._

“Adora?”

“It set off...it set off a failsafe...in She-Ra, that I guess hadn’t been active in lifetimes. A failsafe to...” _Breathe in. Breathe out._ “...ensure the First Ones couldn’t die out.”

“Like, a protection thing?”

“Like a reproductive thing.”

“...I...I don’t understand.”

_Breathe in. Breathe out._ “Sometimes, when I’m She-Ra I...gain certain... _assets_ , to ensure I can...continue my First One’s lineage.”

_Breathe in. Breathe out._

_Breathe in. Breathe out._

_Breathe in. Breathe—_

“Holy shit, you’re talking about a dick, aren’t you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sparkles and the Glitterbunch > Best Friend Squad
> 
> Well, I don't think works do justice to what I just dropped on you all. Next chapter is told in mostly flashbacks as Adora explains the ins and outs of the First Ones to Catra, and maybe they'll finally tell each other everything about their lives prior to finally dating (but probably not).


	3. The Stories We Tell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After revealing a rather large secret to Catra, Adora begins weaving the story of how it all came to be and those responsible.

_Every muscle in her body ached, feeling as though they had been stretched to one thousand times their size. Adora hated that Bow more or less carried her the rest of their trek from the Northern Reach back to Brightmoon, but the distance was too great to rely on Glimmer’s teleporting, and she was much too weak to try and walk herself._

_By the time they returned to the castle and said their good-byes, the blonde could hardly hold her head up. Head throbbing and vision blurry, she stumbled toward the bed in the center of her room and collapsed onto it. Adora stared up at the ceiling for a few moments before lifting her hands in front of her face, wincing at the red veins still pulsing under the skin. How long had she been under the control of the First One’s corruption?_

~

“And then you woke up with a dick?”

“Tch, Catra! Do you want the whole story or not?”

Catra, seated on Adora’s bed next to her girlfriend, lifted her hands in defense. “All right, all right. But you’re _really_ painting a full picture here.”

Adora rolled her eyes before continuing.

~

_The next morning felt just as draining as the night before, but Adora was confident she’d at least be able to concentrate throughout the day. A training session in the morning helped clear her head a bit, though it left her muscles aching for some form of rest._

_“I_ **_told_ ** _you you need to take it easy!” Glimmer scolded as the two made their way down the castle corridor’s toward the throne room. “I swear, I can still see small tints of red on your skin.”_

_“I can’t just_ **_not_ ** _train! Then...then Cat- the_ **_Horde_ ** _wins! I swear, I’m fine.” Adora grabbed the handle of the large and ornate doors leading to where the queen was waiting for them. “Let’s...let’s just get this over with.”_

_Adora swallowed hard, eyes locking onto Angella the moment they stepped into the room. Standing at the top of the steps leading up to the thrones themselves, the light from the stained-glass window illuminated her wings as they stretched to their full potential. It was breathtaking, to say the least, and something that had never been lost on Adora. Ever._

_“Mom, I can—”_

_“Why was I not consulted on the expedition to the Northern Reach, Commander Glimmer?” Angella questioned with a sharp tongue, effectively silencing her daughter. She raised a perfectly shaped brow at the silence that followed._

_“Ma’am, it’s my fault. I was following a lead that—”_

_Adora stopped herself short when the queen’s eyes locked with her own, a strand of her long glittering hair falling away from the rest.“Not yet. I’ll be dealing with you after.”_

**_“I hope—”_ ** _Adora began to think before stomping on her own thoughts. This was the least appropriate time to be having those thoughts again. Instead, she nodded at the queen in understanding, placing her hands behind her back in attention and awaiting further instruction._

~

“Wait wait wait, you ‘ _hope’_?! Like...no no no, wait, this is too good. You wanted to _fuck_ Sparkles’ _mom_?! Holy shit, Adora! What the _actual_ fuck!” Catra wheezed in laughter, continuously slapping Adora’s shoulder while trying to catch her breath. “Does Glimmer know? Oh, I hope she knows.”

“Are you going to keep interrupting?! It’s _very_ jarring!”

Catra waved her off. “Fine fine, continue.”

~

_“Glimmer, you put this mission in great danger by being so reckless. I cannot_ **_imagine_ ** _any bit of technology being worth the physical damage I was informed She-Ra sustained. Furthermore, what would have happened if she had succeeded in severely injuring one of those Horde soldiers? Think of the psychological effects that could have had on Adora!”_

_Glimmer paused for a moment before scoffing and rolling her eyes, arms thrown to the side in protest. “Bow is the one who thought the tech was worth the risk! Why isn’t_ **_he_ ** _being yelled at?!”_

_Pause. “Who do you think briefed me after your mission.” Angella couldn’t help but smirk, ignoring her daughter’s shocked expression. “I told you, I like that boy. And besides,” she began, finally making her way down the steps to stand directly in front of Adora and Glimmer, “he was worried about Adora’s physical wellbeing.”_

_A hand rested on Adora’s shoulder, and oh God when did it get so hot in the castle?_

_“Commander Glimmer, please leave Adora and I alone for a moment.”_

_“What, so you can just yell at_ **_her_ ** _instead?!” Glimmer groaned as her mother sent her an icy stare, leaving the room in defeat and slamming the door on her way out._

_“Your majesty, I—”_

_“How are you feeling?” Her tone was much softer than it had been with Glimmer, and for a moment it threw Adora. But once hypnotizing lavender eyes met her own, the blonde forgot about everything else that happened prior to that moment._

_“I’m...managing.”_

_“I can still sense a discomfort within you, Adora.” The former Horde soldier’s face darkened, heat prickling her cheeks and ears. “I can also see the shards of crimson in your eyes.”_

_Adora took a step back, breaking any physical contact with the queen and raising a hand to her own cheek. Was the corruption still so evidently present in her system? She didn’t feel any different emotionally — there was no uncontrollable anger like there had been before, but her body felt...different._

_“I was planning on talking to Light Hope about it. Maybe she...knows of a mixture I can take to drain my system of it.”_

_“I think that’s a wise idea.” Angella smiled, and Adora’s knees weakened — sure, her attraction to the queen wasn’t anything new, but why was her body reacting_ **_this_ ** _aggressively to it? She snapped back to reality when she heard the monarch sigh. “I’m at a loss when it comes to Glimmer.”_

_Any carnal feelings Adora was having were extinguished at the mention of her best friend. She shifted uncomfortably for a moment before running a hand through her hair and giving a lopsided grin. “I think she’s doing all right, all things considered. She really_ **_is_ ** _a good leader on the battlefield, if you ever joined us I know you would—”_

_“So you think I’m a coward?!” Adora stiffened at the tone of Angella’s voice, surprised by the sudden change in atmosphere._

_“No, not at all, I just think for not being on the frontlines, you’re a little harsh on Glimmer.” Adora frowned — she hadn’t_ **_meant_ ** _to say all of that, but it didn’t mean it wasn’t true._

_Angella visibly bristled, clenching her fists to her side and looking more than a little thrown by Adora’s admission. “You have_ **_no_ ** _idea the kind of atrocities I’ve seen in my life time, for you to—”_

_“Then you should_ **_know_ ** _what Glimmer is going through. What, we’re_ **_all_ ** _going through! You say you’ve seen bad things but...but...you didn’t even_ **_want_ ** _to reform the rebellion!” Adora was riling herself up and knew she was arguing in a losing battle. But she was stubborn, and while she was probably breaking a hundred Brightmoon laws by challenging the queen in such a manner, something inside urged her to keep pushing. Taking a step closer to Angella, she puffed her chest out a bit._

_“How_ **_dare_ ** _you.” Angella’s voice was deep and husky, her breath grazing Adora’s skin and setting it ablaze._

_And then she did it, and oh God as soon as Adora leaned up and captured Angella’s lips within her own, she waited to be shoved to the floor._

~

“ **Holy. Shit.** ”

“Let. Me. **Finish**.”

~

_Adora never felt the cold contact that would have come with hitting the floor, and when she heard the slightest sigh, it urged her just enough to cup Angella’s face with her hands. Her stomach was in knots and every single hair on her body was standing straight up — never in her_ **_wildest_ ** _dreams (of which she had many) did she imagine it happening like this._

_Thoughts of ravishing the woman in front of her, of worshipping every inch of the queen, ran rampant in Adora’s mind as she moved her hands to grip the fabric of Angella’s cape. She could barely tell where her body ended and the queen’s began, but when Adora no longer had to strain to reach soft lips, she was jarred back to reality._

_She pulled away, leaning her forehead against Angella’s and trying to slow her breathing once more. Adora’s eyes travelled to her own body — wait, when had she transformed into She-Ra? When did—_

_“A-Adora?” Angella, face dark red and pupils still enlarged, gestured down toward Adora’s groin, which was pressing against her thigh._

~

Adora stopped her own retelling, furrowing her brow at Catra, who’s cheeks were tinted the lightest shade of red. “Are you...enjoying this?!”

Catra’s tail puffed and she sat up straighter. “W-Wha...I...shut up! So you were so horny that you transformed and that was the first time _it_ showed up?”

Adora nodded. “I bolted out of the room after that. Freaked out for a full day locked in my quarters, and then realized since you know...you _stole_ Entrapta from us and I couldn’t ask her, Light Hope would be the next best person to talk to about it.”

~

_When Adora awoke the next morning, she was back in her regular body — all traces of She-Ra and her asset seemingly having faded away during the night._

~

“Just call it a dick! Why do you keep calling it your ‘assest’?!”

Adora ignored Catra’s interruption, rewarding Melog for staying quiet the whole time with a pat on the head.

~

_Leaving a note for Glimmer with an excuse as to her whereabouts, Adora placed it on the princess’s door at the crack of dawn before setting out to the Crystal Castle. She contemplated riding Swift Wind to save some time, but after remembering how_ **_sudden_ ** _her transformation had occurred the prior day, she decided walking was just fine._

**_“How am I supposed to face Angella again? Ugh, or Glimmer for that matter...”_ ** _Adora festered in her own self deprecation the entire journey, and by the time she finally entered and Light Hope appeared in front of her, she was in a terrible mood._

_“Greetings, Adora. I do not recall summoning you for training today, though based on your latest results...it would not be a bad idea,” Light Hope flickered a few times as she looked at the blonde, tilting her head to the side and frowning. “Is something the matter? My programming is detecting a significant decrease in serotonin.”_

_Adora shifted on her feet, looking anywhere besides the hologram in front of her. Before she could find the words to form an actual sentence, a loud alarm followed by flashing red lights filled the main room of the castle. “W-What’s going on—”_

_The blonde yelped as a beam of light engulfed her, traveling up her body from the bottoms of her feet to the very tip of her puffed up hair. “There is no need for alarm,” Light Hope tried to soothe, coming closer to Adora and waving her hand towards the farthest wall of the room, a medical breakdown of Adora soon appearing._

_“No need for...want to try telling the castle that!” She was scanned three more times, by three different hued lights, before the alarms and sirens finally ceased. Adora wiggled her pinkie in her ear, frowning. “Positive there’s some hearing loss there.”_

_“That is not scientifically accurate, according to the diagnostic.” Adora rolled her eyes at Light Hope, the hologram reviewing the information the castle was now projecting against the wall. “This is not good.”_

_“What’s not—”_

_“Were you aware there has been corruption implanted within you?”_

_Adora froze, unaware of how to respond without having to bring up_ **_how_ ** _she knew. Sure, she had come to the Crystal Castle looking for answers, but talking to a sexless computer simulation about it still felt uncomfortable. “I...I had a hunch.”_

_“No, I do not seem to be detecting a ‘hunch’ present in the corrupt She-Ra’s bioscan.” Pause. “I see, this was one of your so-called ‘figures of speech’.”_

_“At least you’re learning,” Adora laughed, rubbing the back of her neck as she moved to stand besides Light Hope, looking up at the various charts and images on the wall. “So how do I get rid of it? Sweat it out?”_

_“It is not that simple, Adora. According to the castle’s readings, the corruption will be permanent.” Adora bristled, dread settling into her gut. “Though it seems as though most aspects of She-Ra are fully functioning.”_

_“So...it’s like a cold sore? It’s just...there and annoying but harmless?”_

_“I am not sure how similar sores caused by frigid environment are to this current situation,” Adora groaned before Light Hope continued, “but it seems as though the corruption has_ **_added_ ** _to She-Ra’s magic-based molecular breakdown.”_

_“Added?” A hissing noise emanated from Light Hope, causing Adora to jump a few steps away and reach out for the hologram. “Light Hope! Are you—” She yelped as the projection flickered between bouts of static, the auditable high frequency soon abruptly stopping before everything in the castle went dark._

_A moment passed in darkened silence before everything rebooted, Adora rubbing her eyes to aid their adjustment to the new level of brightness before noticing Light Hope had reappeared._

_“There is no need to concern yourself with the corruption. It is as you said, ‘annoying but harmless’.”_

_“Tch, what are you talking about? What am I supposed to do when..._ **_things_ ** _happen?!” Adora gave a disgruntled glared to her mentor, arms crossed over her chest._

_“Any assets obtained during this transitional time are not useful to you in your current state. More training may be required.”_

~

“Well, I see why you keep calling it an ‘asset’,” Catra joked, tucking her legs under her and leaning back on the palms of her hands. “You realize you’ve kept me hostage for over an hour with this story and have told me _nothing_ of use.”

“Yeah, well think about how confusing it was for me at the time! Light Hope _never_ fully explained anything to me! It wasn’t until we got Entrapta back that I _finally_ got some answers.”

Catra cackled, throwing her head back in laughter. “So you just wandered around, occasionally whipping it out, with no idea why?”

“I-I...I wasn’t whipping it out everywhere! I just...dealt with it. What else was a supposed to do?! I just assumed that it was a weird extra She-Ra power I had unlocked or something!”

“So you just ignored it the endless months before Entrapta rejoined the Rebellion?”

Adora looked away, adjusting her position on the bed slightly. “I mean, I didn’t just _ignore_ it, per say.”

She let out a grunt as Catra playful shoved her. “Oh, you _totally_ jerked it to the queen didn’t you? What a perv! The little kiss wasn’t enough?” Catra laughed for a moment, but when Adora refused to make eye contact, she soon fell into silence. “...oh. I...so you’ve...used it then?”

The blonde’s face darkened, her eyes looking at Catra though it felt as though her gaze passed through her. “Y-Yeah.”

“Like, once?”

_Pause._ “Well...with one person, yes.”

The atmosphere, which had surprisingly been light up until this point, had chilled significantly. Catra pursed her lips and absentmindedly scratched behind Melog’s ear, the creature having rested her head on her lap once the mood had shifted. “I know this is a really, _really_ obvious question but...”

_“Here it comes,”_ Adora thought, bracing herself.

“...it wasn’t Glimmer, right?” Catra refused to make eye contact, instead choosing to keep her focus on Melog.

Adora furrowed her brow. “N-No, it wasn’t. Wait...was it not obvious from the story? Because I was avoiding just blurting it out but if it was unclear I—”

“It was Queen Angella, I get it. That’s why I said it was a stupid question.”

“R-Right. Catra, I—”

“I slept with Glimmer.”

Nose wrinkling in confusion and taking a moment to fully process before responding, Adora wrung her hands in her lap. “That’s why you asked—“

“Yeah, woulda been a little...weird.” She let out a sick chuckle. “Well, I guess not much weirder than everything else.” Looking up and noticing Adora’s face drop, Catra sighed. “I don’t mean...sorry, weird wasn’t...the right word.”

“I didn’t know how to tell you.”

“And here I thought _I_ was keeping a big secret.”

Catra suddenly felt prickly, her pores were on fire and her thoughts began racing a mile a minute. _How was she supposed to compete with a_ ** _queen_** _?_

“After the kiss, I couldn’t just ignore her. We talked and...it was mutual.”

_Why was she telling Catra all of this?_ The brunette clenched her teeth. “Does Glimmer know?” She was surprised when Adora nodded.

“She...found out, after the portal. After Angella...”

_Oh god, she had killed her girlfriend’s previous lover._

_Oh_ **_god_ ** _, she was actively trying to bring back her girlfriend’s previous lover._

“...it was one of the reasons there was a lot of tension in the team afterwards. I think...I think she was more upset we had kept it a secret from her.”

Catra was spiraling — everything she had wanted was in front of her and yet it was as though she was suffocating. “ _I slept with someone too, why does it feel different? We barely liked each other, let alone had any real feelings. It was a fling,”_ Catra thought to herself as Adora awaited any response from her girlfriend. _“Sparkles and I knew we weren’t anything more. But Adora, had she loved—”_

She jumped when Adora threw her arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace. Catra was stiff, but as soon as fingers started combing through her mane, she relaxed into the hug.

“Catra, I love you. I _need_ you to know that. Even back when we were kids — even though I didn’t have the word for it, I...I never gave up on you and _never_ stopped thinking about you. And when we kissed the other day...I’ve never felt like that.” Catra could feel tears falling onto her chest, but she wasn’t sure if they were hers or Adora’s. 

“Adora...I don’t...” Catra began as she grabbed her girlfriend’s shoulders and pulled her away slightly, noses only a few inches apart, “I don’t want you to feel bad. You...You _shouldn’t_ feel bad for being with someone before we were together. We...weren’t even on the same side of the war then!”

Adora wiped her nose on the back of her sleeve and sniffled. “At least this lessens the She-Ra as-... _dick_ a little, huh?”

They both laughed for a moment before smiling weakly at one another — the conversation had become much more emotionally draining than either girl had set out for it to be.

“Did you...did you want to know what...Entrapta said?” Adora questioned, taking Catra’s hand within her own and stroking the top with her thumb.

Catra brought Adora’s palm up to her lips and gave it a gentle kiss, placing it down on the mattress when she was done and standing. “I do. I really do. But I think...I think I need a little space?” Her eyes widened as Adora’s began to water up. She put her hands up and shook her head. “N-No no, not like that! I mean I need to go on a walk! Clear my head for a little bit. I want to hear about it, and...as much as it _pains_ me, I want...well, I feel like I need a few more details on the whole Angella ordeal.”

Adora nodded, standing as well and kissing Catra’s cheek. “O-Of course. I think I’ll get something from the kitchen then.”

As the two made their way out of the room, fingers intertwined, Catra turned to Adora. “Oh and Adora? Don’t mention me and Sparkles to anyone, alright? She wants to tell Bow herself.”

___________________

“Here you are small one, a little drinking water,” Perfuma cooed to one of her various plants as she made her rounds within her home to care for all her potted friends. Giving its leaf a little tickle, she perked up when someone knocked on her door. Swinging it open and giving a giant smile to whatever friend might be visiting, she couldn’t help but be taken aback when Catra stood in front of her.

“Is that offer to meditate still on the table?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is. Please read "Yes ma'am" by Prim_the_Amazing, it was what opened my eyes to the possibilities.
> 
> Also, I am a humble young bi woman and Noelle has given us a meal with the older ladies of this show.
> 
> Please let me know what you think!


	4. The Friendships We Make

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it takes being apart for two people to grow together.

“Let the universe’s energy flow in...and out...the sun is the source of life for all,” Perfuma gently chanted, eyes closed and legs crossed as she raised her arms up and over her head. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled as she brought her limbs back down and placed them at her side. Opening one eye and peaking at her companion, she frowned. “W-wha-...are you _still_ trying to cross your legs properly?”

“My tail makes it _very_ hard to sit this way, alright?!”

“I-“ Perfuma cut herself short, snapping her eye closed once more and taking an aggressive inhale through her nose. “It’s...it’s fine, patience is a gift the universe has given us.” Taking a few more breaths, she smiled peacefully as she finally heard Catra’s rustling cease. “Now breathe in...”

_“This is stupid,”_ Catra thought, following instructions a bit reluctantly as she began raising her arms above her head.

“...and out.”

_“I mean, how is this supposed to be helping?”_

“Breathe in...”

_“I can’t relax — how am I supposed to with everything going on with Adora right now?”_

“...and out.”

_“Listen to me, I’m making it seem like there’s something to be mad about. I’m not mad...maybe...maybe that’s why I’m feeling so..._ **_off_ ** _.”_

_“It feels weird not to be mad. Old me would have punched Sparkles just for being_ **_related_ ** _to the woman Adora slept with before me.”_

_“It feels...so conflicting. And how could Adora just drop_ **_all_ ** _of that on me at once! It was funny to an extent but-...oh.”_

_“Oh shit, all of that was probably_ **_not_ ** _funny to her. I didn’t even think to-”_

Perfuma grinned as she watched Catra stretch and reflect. When the brunette continued the routine sans instruction, it gave the princess hope she would really be able to make a difference. She allowed Catra to continue for a few minutes before quietly clearing her throat to draw attention back to reality.

“That was very good, Catra! How did it feel?” Perfuma furrowed a brow in confusion at the disgruntled look the girl in question gave, noticing Catra was shifting uncomfortably. She chuckled, uncrossing her long, freckled legs and and wiggling her bare toes. “You can sit however you’d like now.”

“Thank fuc-...th-thanks.” Catra blushed lightly — it was still hard trying to be pleasant all the time. “It felt...fine.” _Pause_. “Alright, it actually felt kind of nice.”

“That’s wonderful to hear!” Perfuma began to lean toward the girl with outstretched arms before pausing and retreating after a moments thought — a hug might be overstepping boundaries at the moment. The princess instead settled on reaching over and gently scratching behind Catra’s left ear.

Catra yipped in surprise, opening her mouth to protest before completely succumbing to the pleasant feeling filling her. “H-How.... _prr_...h-”

Perfuma giggled at the nonsensical response to her affections. “Scorpia _may_ have mentioned you had a weakness. It just seemed like you deserved a little reward. If you’re anything like Adora, I know relaxing doesn’t come naturally to you. Your aura is very dark and muddled.” 

Pulling her hand away and smirking at the light trill she received in protest, Perfuma reached into the front pocket of her satchel to remove two small drawstring pouches from within.Catra’s ears flattened — wasting no time and having little concern for her own personal space, the former Horde soldier crawled over and nearly sat on Perfuma’s lap, snatching one of the bags out of the princess’s hand.

“Is...is this what I think it is?” She opened the sack and peered inside, pupils dilating to the size of large saucers and tail thumping on the ground.

“I traded with a merchant in the Crimson Waste for it — a very... _negative_ feline-woman.” Perfuma chuckled as she pulled a few other items out of her bag and placed them on the ground in front of her. “Reminded me a bit of you.”

Catra barely registered she was being spoken to, causing the princess to frown and snatch her bag back from clawed hands. The brunette’s eyes returned to normal as soon as she realized a theft had occurred. “Hey!”

“It’s not for you to just gawk at!” Perfuma chided, placing her teapot on a portable hot plate and filling it with water she had brought. Noticing Catra’s piqued interest at her device, she smiled. “It’s a gift from Scorpia — I think she had Entrapta make it while we were all staying in Brightmoon. It was a sweet gesture — she knows how much I like tea.”

Noticing the faint color on Perfuma’s cheeks, Catra snickered and scooted to sit directly across from the princess, the teapot the only thing separating them. “So, we’re having catnip...tea?”

Perfuma nodded, handing a cup to Catra and sprinkling a small amount of nip into it before tending to her own serving with a few tea leaves from the other bag. “I was told it helps relax the muscles and mind but...well, I haven’t had anyone to share it with yet.”

“Why buy something you couldn’t even use?”

“With the way Adora always talked about you,” Perfuma began, filling both mugs with hot water before taking a sip, “I knew you’d eventually come around.”

Catra blinked at the oddly honest statement, watching as Perfuma blew a cooling breath on her tea before taking another sip. Shaking her head and tasting her own drink, the brunette’s ears perked as the warm liquid ignited her senses. She chose to ignore the lopsided grin that was thrown her way — she was positive it was in response to her fluffed coat from the relaxing mixture.

_If only she had known the Rebellion was so weak to cuteness, maybe Catra could have won after all._

________________

“Ugh, Bow! You _have_ to aim _at_ me!”

“But what if I hit you?!”

“How am I supposed to train if you’re not posing a real threat?” She-Ra yelped as an arrow came barreling toward her head, the blonde barely avoiding it with a quick drop to her knees. “Heh, m-much better.”

With a running start, Bow launched himself in the air, landing on a nearby tree branch and quickly taking aim. Fire arrow, then lightning, then net — all three were fired in rapid succession as the archer attempt to give She-Ra the most difficult combination to avoid. When the first two were dodged and the third was sliced in half, he took to the thicker greenery to crouch for a moment and hide his whereabouts.

Scanning the area for a moment and seeing no one in sight, She-Ra lifted her sword high in the air before piercing the ground with its blade, the impact creating a rippling circle around her. When nothing — and no one — fell from the trees, she smirked. “Nice one! I really thought I had you with that.”

Time seemed to freeze as the sound of an arrow whizzing through the air echoed in the forest clearing, She-Ra turning around just in time to clap her hands together and catch it, the tip grazing her nose. She let out the breath she had been holding and dropped the projectile to the ground before phasing her sword out of existence and transforming back into Adora.

“See?! What if that had _actually_ hit you!” Bow exclaimed as he jumped down from his hiding place up in the trees, holstering his weapon to his back and approaching Adora.

She chuckled, giving a playful punch to the archer’s shoulder. “Well, I appreciate you setting your best friendness aside and giving me a good workout.”

“It hurt every fiber in my being.”

________________

Catra tried her hardest to find something to complain about — not because she necessarily _wanted_ there to be a reason, but she was used to finding them at this point in her life. But as she sat side-by-side with Perfuma and watched the sun set over Plumeria, it felt impossible to find any thing to feel — as the princess would say — _negative_ about.

“I’m really surprised. I honestly expected you to storm out before zen could be achieved.”

Catra rolled her eyes, finishing off her tea and placing the empty cup by her side. _Had the scenery of Etheria always been so gorgeous, or had she really achieved whatever zen was?_ “...thanks. I mean for today, for...taking the time.”

“Catra, I would _never_ turn away a friend.” Perfuma paused, biting her bottom lip and pulling her legs into her chest. “I...need to apologize.”

“Pfft, for what? Being _too_ agreeable?”

“For the other night, at the party. I...I was a little harsh.”

Catra laughed — and maybe the catnip had a bit to do with it, but Perfuma apologizing felt like the most outrageous thing. “Oh _no_ , you didn’t give me a big hug and kiss when you saw me? How will I ever get over that?” She placed a dramatic hand over her forehead and imitated a faint, smirking when she heard the princess let out a small laugh.

“Well, I had to say something. It put Scorpia in an awkward place and she’s come _so_ far.”

Catra clawed at the grass for a moment, feeling a bit awkward and a _lot_ guilty. “So...you and her...you know?”

“N-Not...o-officially.” Perfuma closed her eyes and took a calming breathe before looking back out on the still setting sun. “I want to be there for her — she has a lot of things to work through, as I’m sure all former Horde soldiers do. But for right now, I think she needs a really good friend.”

“Sheesh, just say you’re a wimp and haven’t asked yet.”

“Wha-I-that... _okayI’mawimpandhaven’taskedyet._ ” Perfuma scrunched her face at Catra’s laughter. “But the other stuff was true too! I don’t...I don’t want to rush her into anything when she’s still learning about herself!”

When her body was suddenly engulfed in an awkward side hug, Perfuma nearly choked on her own gasp. She sat completely still, afraid it would end if she reacted too intensely to the sudden physical contact. 

“She...she needs someone who cares about her, I...I’ve heard she wasn’t always treated the way she deserved. Just...be good to her, that’s what will really help her.” Catra continued the embrace for another moment before pulling away and keeping her distance once more. “And if you tell _anyone_ I willingly hugged you...”

Perfuma smiled, packing her belongings as the final rays of the sun disappeared. “Your secret is safe with me.

________________

“Hey Bow, can...can I ask you something? Adora questioned as the two friends continued their trek back toward Brightmoon Castle.

“Of course, you never have to ask for permission, Adora.”

The blonde rubbed the back of her neck, thinking of the best way to both ask her question, while simultaneously _not_ asking her question. “So if you had a friend...okay well, no, you actually have two friends. Wait, no no, it’s three friends. So yeah, what if you had three friends, and _one_ friend told you something but _another_ friend told _that_ friend that _they_ wanted to tell the **_other_** friend and-”

“Are you talking about Glimmer and Catra?” Bow chuckled as Adora sighed in relief, nodding her head and kicking a nearby rock absentmindedly. “Glimmer told me — she said she knew once Catra spilled the beans to you that she didn’t ‘think Adora was very good at keeping secrets’.”

“Wh-I am a _great_ secret keeper!” She ignored the eye roll she received in response and crossed her arms over her chest. “So...what do you think?”

“About them?”

“Yeah.”

Bow shrugged, pulling an arrow out of his quiver and a knife out of his pocket, sharpening its point as they walked. “I mean, I don’t really have an opinion on it. It happened, and now it’s not. Glimmer was more mad than I was when she told me.”

“Because you didn’t care?”

“I...I didn’t say I didn’t _care_!” Bow’s voiced cracked as he nearly nicked his finger. “She was more mad at my...questions.”

“Do...do I want to know?”

The archer’s face lit up, and after almost slicing his skin a second time, he put the knife away for his own safety. “Not _that_ kind of question! I just... _well_...Catra is _so_ fluffy! I just wanted to know if her stomach was as soft as the rest of her! Don’t laugh!”

Adora ignored his command and cackled, wiping tears from her eyes. “Of _course_ you asked that. So it’s not...weird that it _doesn’t_ bother me?”

“You’re allowed to feel whatever you want about it — I mean, like...respectful feelings only though, don’t _shame_ her for being active. But it’s okay to be jealous. Or don’t.” Bow shrugged. “There’s no right or wrong, you have to figure out what works.”

“Has anyone told you that you’re very...level headed?”

“I grew up with twelve older siblings — I sorta just became the mediator of the family. Besides, you love Catra right?” Adora nodded. “And she loves you?” She nodded again. “Then that’s that.”

Throwing her arm around Bow’s shoulders, the two finished the rest of their journey in pleasant silence.

________________

By the time Bow and Adora had reached the castle it had been dark for quite sometime. Bidding each other “goodnight” as they parted ways, the blonde decided to stop by her room and change before searching for her girlfriend. Sliding her scrunchy off and letting her hair cascade down, she rolled her shoulders a few times to pop out the kinks before opening the door to her bedroom. 

“Oh, hey.”

“Hey, Adora.” Catra spoke softly, but the tone in her voice was light and playful. She stood from her spot on Adora’s bed and made her way toward her girlfriend, immediately engulfing her in a hug. “I’m sorry.”

Adora reciprocated the action without missing a beat, nuzzling her face into the crook of Catra’s neck. “For what?”

“Shh. Let me enjoy this first.”

“You sap.”

“Shut up.”

“So much for being sorry.”

“And now I’m done,” Catra chuckled, breaking the embrace and taking a step back to take in the full view of her partner. “And I’m sorry for...reacting the way I did.”

“You don’t have anything to apologize for. Honestly, you took it better than I expected.”

“That doesn’t mean I couldn’t have...I don’t know, been a little more supportive. I mean...that stuff was probably really hard to tell me. I never even thought to ask how you felt. You know, if you were okay with the failsafe happening. If you were okay after...” Catra moved to sit back on the bed, curling her legs under herself and playing with her tail before continuing, “...after Angella was gone. All I did was laugh at everything and then take off when I got even the littlest bit jealous.”

“Catra, I understood you needing a little bit of time. I dropped a lot on you.” Adora took her spot next to Catra, patting the top of her thigh and smiling when the brunette laid her head on the spot. “And, not that all of this understanding isn’t completely appreciated, but...where is this all coming from?”

“Something Perfuma said stuck with me.”

Adora nearly choked. “You...you willingly saw a princesses?”

“Shocking, right?” Catra rolled her eyes, sighing in content as Adora began gently petting her mane. “Anyways, she said she was worried about taking things too fast with Scorpia. That...that right now Scorpia had a lot to work through and needed a good friend. And I realized...you need that too.”

When the petting suddenly stopped, Catra turned to face up at Adora. She frowned at the blank expression her girlfriend was giving her. “Are you...breaking up with me?”

Catra sprung up, quickly kissing Adora’s face whenever she could find empty space. “No no no no no,” she said between pecks. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh thank god.”

“I meant...I need to be a good _friend_ if I want to be a good _girlfriend_. And even though something...might be hard for me, I...I have to be there for you no matter what.”

“Catra...” Adora cooed, lip quivering a bit as she looked at Catra with nothing but love in her eyes. “I hope then, that I can do the same for you.”

“I mean, you better. I deserve the world.”

Leaning in and capturing Catra’s lips with her own, Adora laced her fingers in dark brown locks before slowly laying her girlfriend on her back. She left a trail of lingering kisses from Catra’s mouth to the bottom lobe of her ear, giving it a little nibble before moving to her neck.

Catra purred in response, nails extended as she kneaded Adora’s back in praise for the affection. “So...is She-Ra going to randomly appear or...”

Adora snickered, her breath causing a lovely sensation across Catra’s neck that caused her to shiver. “Would you like that?”

“Not really, I really want Adora at the moment.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the reviews and kudos! Please let me know how you're liking it! Now that these useless beans have gotten all their feelings settled, the real meat can begin.


	5. The Choices We Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Entrapta's research into inter-dimensional extractions finally complete, the Best Friend Squad faces new unexpected obstacles with her findings.

The rest of the week had gone by in relative peace — a princess visit here, a training session there, and plenty of quality time for the Best Friend Squad. The first few days were a little uneasy for the bunch as their new lives in a war-free Etheria set in, relaxation having never been the status quo. 

“Is it bad that I’m _bored_?” Catra questioned from her spot on the castle roof next to Adora, the duo deciding to scale the building and see Brightmoon from its highest point.

“Only if it’s bad that I am too.”

Adora smirked as she felt her girlfriend’s arm snake around her waist and pull their bodies closer together. “So...wanna make out then?”

The blonde pulled Catra on top of her as she laid back, sliding her hands up and under the brunette’s shirt. Adora smirked as she felt a slight shudder in response to her fingers tangling with soft tufts of fur, and she wasted no time in capturing her girlfriend’s lips with her own.

“Guys!” a sudden and high pitched voice shouted, Glimmer appearing suddenly next to them and startling the two girls. Losing her positioning due to the scare, Catra stumbled off of Adora, misstepping and sliding off the edge of the roof.

“Catra!”

“Tch, guys! This is why you shouldn’t be up here!” Glimmer scolded before teleporting to catch Catra mid-air and returning. Fur thoroughly puffed up in fear, the former soldier scrambled out of the queen’s arms and latched onto Adora. “You’re _welcome_.”

Catra hissed, licking the back of her hand and using it to smooth out her hair and the fur on the back on her neck. “Yeah, _thanks_ for scaring the _shit_ out of me.”

Rolling her eyes and grabbing Adora and Catra by their shoulders, Glimmer brought them back down to the front steps of the castle where Bow was waiting for them. Engrossed in the information on his tracker pad, he acknowledged the trio with only a nod.

Catra collapsed on the ground, holding her head in her hands and staring at the ground. “I’m...” she gagged a bit, covering her mouth with her hand before pausing and taking a deep breath. “I’m okay. No...no teleporting...for a while.”

Adora smirked and soothingly pet the top of her partner’s head, turning toward Bow and furrowing a brow. “What has him so...” she gestured in his general direction, the archer still nose deep in his device, “...like this?”

“Entrapta sent him some of her latest findings on the portal research. I guess...there was a bit of a snag.” Glimmer averted her eyes for a moment before bringing her gaze back to the group, Adora realizing her friend was holding back tears. Still petting the top of Catra’s head, the blonde reached over and placed a reassuring hand on Glimmer’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. The queen smiled in return.

“These readings don’t make any sense,” Bow mumbled, catching the attention of the others before continuing, “and it almost...it almost seems as though these are readings from two different dimensions.”

“Did Entrapta send you anything else with these readings?” Adora asked while helping Catra back up to her feet, the feline dusting off her shirt and slicking her hair back into place. 

Bow finally looked up from his tracker pad, powering it down and attaching it to the holster on his hip. “All her message said was, ‘have a look-see’.”

Catra rolled her eyes and shook her head, a small grin forming on her lips. “Typical Entrapta. Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go see her — if she has enough nonsense figured out to send over, then she’s probably pretty far along.”

Glimmer reached a hand out, but pulled it back once Catra snarled at her. Chuckling and sliding her hands in her pockets, the queen took a step away from her friend. “Fine fine, we’ll walk. _Jeez_.”

________________

Melog trilled, barreling toward a passing butterfly as she snapped her jaw in its direction. When she failed to capture the small being, she lowered her head to the ground and wiggled her rear in the air, preparing to pounce.

“Tch, Melog! Don’t eat that!” Catra scolded, rushing to stop her companion right before the strike could occur.

_“Nnnnnnrrrrr prrrrowww,”_ Melog protested, ears flattening before she swatted at Catra’s foot and scurried off. Hiding behind one of the many trees of the Whispering Woods, the alien peered around back at Catra before turning invisible.

“You can be such a brat.”

“Pfft, they say pets take after their owners,” Adora snorted as her and the others caught up to Catra, bumping her girlfriend’s hip with her own and continuing down the path toward Dryl. Noticing the blonde, Melog happily reappeared and bounded toward her, rubbing against Adora’s leg and walking side-by-side with her.

“Kiss up,” Catra scoffed before tailing them, ignoring the snickering from Glimmer and Bow. 

“Wait, wasn’t Wrong Hordak supposed to come get us when Entrapta was ready?” Adora questioned, stopping and turning toward her friends as she bent down to scratch Melog’s chin.

Glimmer shrugged, hooking her arm with Bow’s and resting her head against his shoulder as they walked. “That _was_ the plan, but with Entrapta sending her research...maybe he got tied up?”

As Bow was about to concur, he noticed a figure in the approaching clearing of the woods — just below the base of Dryl’s dark mountains. Using his free hand to pull out his tracker pad and change its settings, the archer brought the device to eye level and watched as the image shifted and zoomed to clearly identify the mystery individual.

“Well,” he began as he returned his pad to its sheath, “looks like we found Wrong Hordak.”

Sun-hat adorning his head and floral scarf around his neck, Wrong Hordak perked up and turned his attention to the Best Friend Squad as they approached, hands cupped in front of him. “Brothers! Let us rejoice for this beautiful weather, and all the creatures that come with it!” Lifting his hands to the sky, he released several butterflies into the air.

Catra blinked, looking around at the large smiles on everyone else’s faces. “Am I...okay, I’m the only one a little creeped apparently. Not like he looks like the real Hordak or any- _oof_.” Cut off by an elbow in _both_ sides — one from Adora and one from Glimmer — she snarled.

“My apologies for delaying my summoning! I was distracted by these primitive life forms pollinating these _other_ primitive life forms. Did you know stomping on flowers destroys them? Entrapta says we shall not, lest we upset the All Mighty Flowery One.”

“And while I’m _sure_ Perfuma appreciates that,” Bow commended, placing a friendly arm around Wrong Hordak’s shoulders in an attempt to herd him toward the castle, “maybe we should focus on talking to Entrapta for now, okay buddy?”

“Splendid idea! Come comrades, I have summoned you all effectively and in a timely manner! We mustn’t waste any more time.”

“You have done nothing of the sort!” The group jumped, looking further up the path that wound around the mountain till Hordak came into view. “You have spent _hours_ tending to that frivolous organic being growing out of a crack in the ground. A simple _weed_!”

“Please ignore him, brothers. He is, as Entrapta calls, ‘hangry’. The small foods must not be fulfilling his basic requirements for daily nutrition.” Wrong Hordak led the group up the trail toward Crypto Castle, sticking his tongue out at Hordak as they passed. 

“I’ll say it again, I’m _clearly_ the only one who thinks this is creepy.” Catra groaned from the back of the group, keeping as much distance between herself and the two Hordaks as possible. Her mood lightened briefly as Adora intertwined their fingers and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

The journey continued on in relative silence, excluding the occasional distraction that Bow had to convince Wrong Hordak to ignore. As the group made their way through the large doors of the castle and into the maze-like halls, Catra tightened her grip on Adora’s hand — getting lost on her way to the lab again was not part of her plan for the day.

“Friends!” Entrapta greeted as the doors to her workroom slid open, the princess spinning in her chair in excitement before using her hair to come to an abrupt stop. “The possibilities of science have once again proven to be fruitful and endless!”

“That’s...that’s a good thing, right? You’re telling us _good_ news?” Glimmer asked with little patience, fidgeting and bouncing restlessly where she stood.

“ _Wonderful_ news!” Sliding her chair from her workbench to her computer keyboard, Entrapta began slamming away on the keys with both her fingers and tendrils. “The amount of data I’ve mined from this latest experiment is... _titilating._ ” The princess turned a few knobs on her screen before dramatically slamming one last button and squealing manically, various projections kicking on and lighting up the entire room.

Catra flinched as she was surrounded by holograms, expecting some form of physical discomfort and surprised when she felt no more than a breeze. She pawed at the images, immediately ceasing when she noticed Melog doing the same thing and her friends giving her stupid sappy smiles.

“Now, if you bring your attention here,” Entrapta began, manipulating the position of the hologram with a simple wave her her hand, “you can see that there are clear bio-readings emanating from this one central location.” Swiping up with her hand, the bright red marker on the data map enlarged and webbed to reveal multiple points of interest. “Heart rate, blood pressure, brain waves — these are _clearly_ signs of some form of organic being.”

“How can you be sure it isn’t just another living creature in a different dimension?” Bow questioned, stepping up next to Entrapta to further analyze the readings.

The princess laughed happily as she pat him on the head with her hair. “ _Very_ observant, Bow! Through Horde Prime’s research, I’ve deduced that beings in a shared dimension all share a common molecular structure that can not be replicated by a competing dimension. We have to get down to the _tiniest_ of molecules to spot the difference. _But_ this has given me undeniable evidence as to why my portal was unstable! With improper protocol in place, forcing beings from one dimension into another with improper molecular structuring can cause _catastrophic_ results.” Entrapta let out a single laugh, clapping her hands together and spinning once in her chair. “Isn’t science _thrilling_?! To think, _one_ small calculation in my design caused _significant_ problems and-oh. Well, no, I guess that isn’t particularly a _good_ thing.”

“So let me get this straight — because we entered an alternate dimension, it kicked us out because it sensed we didn’t belong?” Catra questioned, barely wrapping her head around any of what Entrapta was spewing.

“ _Precisely!_ ”

“The data you sent to my tracker pad — that wasn’t a single dimension. Are you implying there’s a chance...” Bow paused for a moment, contemplating how to ask his question as tactfully as possible before continuing, “that Queen Angella was-”

“Split between _multiple_ dimension? Oh, no, it’s _much_ more fascinating!”

“Oh, thank _god_ ,” Glimmer sighed, holding her hand to her chest in relief. “Entrapta, all of this is fascinating, it _really_ is, but are you able to bring back my mom or not?”

“Right yes, humans seem to crave instant gratification. I presume I should have started with that particular bit of news.” Entrapta stood from her chair, perching herself on one, thick tendril of hair and using the other to point. “This particular reading, right here? _That’s_ the former queen. And by the bioscan I performed at this _precise_ location in space and time, she still has all of her vitals fully functioning. So yes, she _can_ be retrieved.”

Glimmer fell to the floor, her legs having completely given up under her as she outwardly sobbed. Bow rushed over to her side, scooping his girlfriend up in his arms and holding her. Though they may be tears and cries of pure joy, they caused the queen’s chest to ache. Adora kneeled by Glimmer’s other side, gently rubbing her back as she settled down.

_“It...it worked, I...I can’t believe it,”_ Catra thought to herself, absentmindedly petting Melog in an attempt to keep her hands busy. It was a bit of an awkward moment, but she knew her place — this was something the _original_ Best Friend Squad needed to revel in. She was just happy she could finally make amends for one of her biggest regrets.

“Oh, I’m so happy you guys are happy! So I should plan for the extractions then?” Entrapta questioned as she repositioned the hologram and zoomed out. 

“Wait, ‘extractions’? Like...plural?” Bow allowed Adora to take Glimmer’s weight from him — they both subconsciously knew he understood Entrapta’s tech talk better than the blonde ever could hope to.

“Well, yes. You _did_ look at the data I sent thoroughly, right? Like you said, there were multiple dimensions present.” Rotating the floating image, Entrapta pushed in on a small section that was pulsing a dark crimson. Once enhanced fully, two separate markers — similar to Angella’s — appeared.

“Of course I analyzed the data, but this is much more detailed and high resolution than my tracker pad.” Bow closed in on the hologram, pointing to the two new spots pulsating on the map. “Are you saying, that these two spots are...beings from _our_ dimension?”

“This was what I needed your help in decrypting, as someone with a little more... _field_ experience than myself,” Entrapta explained as she swiped up to reveal the vitals from the first mystery marker. “I can tell that _this_ is almost definitely a human of some sort, though their numbers are a bit odd. But _this_ one,” she began as she switched her projection to show a detailed breakdown of the second marker, “I haven’t seen anything like it. It looks _eerily_ similar to the creature we faced in the Northern Reach, but at a much smaller scale.”

Bow scratched his chin as his eyes skimmed over the data, brow furrowing the further he read. “No no, you’re _right_. These readings...this...it’s an Elemental!”

“What?!” Adora was brought to attention by a word she was _very_ familiar with. “Why would an Elemental just be in the middle of multiple dimensions?” She turned to Entrapta. “Are you getting any readings of First Ones’ tech in the vicinity?”

Entrapta shook her head, turning toward her keyboard and typing for a moment before turning her attention back the group. “Not at all and _that’s_ what perplexed me! How, or rather, _why_ would it be an Elemental with no First Ones? _Oh this is so exciting!_ A complex scientific mystery!”

“Okay, well what about the readings from the being you’re sure is human? You said the readings were off.” Bow booted up his tracker pad, typing in a few equations and bringing up the data Entrapta had sent him earlier.

“It’s _very_ interesting — though _very_ similar to human readings, all of the numbers are just hovering on the line between life and death.”

“So whatever, or... _who_ ever it is, is close to...passing?”

“Not _necessarily_ — I found these readings earlier in the week and have been examining them closely. This being _should_ have passed days ago, but they’ve stayed at the exact same levels — down to the _decimal_. It’s almost as if...as if they’re somehow shutting their own body down to hide from detection.” Entrapta turned back to her personal computer, squinting at further data she had collected during the weeks of experimentation. “It’s almost as if they’re using-”

“Magic.” Everyone in the room turned and looked at Glimmer and Bow, the couple having muttered at nearly the same time.

~ 

_“We’ll teleport directly into Hordak’s sanctum and disable the portal machine and_ **_find_ ** _Adora.”_

_Glimmer held a hand close to her chest, averting her gaze as she took a step closer to the magical barrier her aunt had helped create. “You can really make me that powerful?”_

_“You think of yourself only as a princess. But you are the child of a_ **_great_ ** _sorcerer. You have a more powerful connection to magic then you’ve ever realized.” The prisoner offered her hand — though not visible, the smirk beneath her mask could be felt. “Let me show you.”_

_“You just want to use Glimmer’s power to escape!” Bow interjected, breaking Glimmer out of her trance for a brief moment._

_“I_ **_want_ ** _to destroy Hordak. We must strike now — Hordak_ **_can’t_ ** _be allowed to open a portal. We’ll never have another opportunity, you_ **_know_ ** _that.”_

_Glimmer’s brow furrowed as she clenched her fist, igniting the magic that coursed at the surface of her being before destroying the barrier between herself and the prisoner. She gasped when it shattered into pieces that floated through the air, surprising herself at her own power — no matter how minuscule at the moment. She ignored Bow’s groan of disapproval as she offered her hand to Shadow Weaver._

_“You won’t get away with this if this is a trap.”_

_Shadow Weaver scoffed, taking Glimmer’s hand and placing it back to her side. “I have nothing to gain from deceiving you, especially when we’re after the same thing.”_

_“Have I mentioned this is a_ **_terrible_ ** _idea?” Bow quipped from across the room, arms crossed defensively over his chest._

_“Your opinion has been noted,” Shadow Weaver snipped before moving to stand besides the princess and raising her own arms in a premeditated form. “Hordak — though less powerful than he may seem — has technology on his side, which means very advanced machines that will be able to track our every move. Before we can go rushing in, there are a few simple spells you must learn to disguise yourself from detection.”_

~

Catra felt as though a spike of ice had been plunged through her heart and stomach simultaneously. “You’ve _got_ to be kidding? It’s...it’s fucking _Shadow Weaver_?! How is that...how is that even possible! That freaky, corrupt First One bug was attacking and then...and then she blew herself up!”

“Wait...maybe she teleported herself and the Elemental instead,” Adora hypothesized, pacing the room as she was deep in thought. “It would make sense, I hadn’t thought about it but...after the dust settled there were no...bodies.”

“Yeah, well when fire is _that_ hot...”

“But Catra, _think_ about it! Her _mask_ was still there! Wouldn’t _that_ have been burned out of existence as well?”

“But...but...what about that insect thing? If she teleported _with_ it, wouldn’t it have just been attacking her this whole time?”

“Probably not,” Bow answered, swiping through some notes on his pad before speaking, “Elementals exist to protect something the First Ones created — whether it be an artifact, like the one my dads had in their library, or the Crystal Castle itself. Once Shadow Weaver left this dimension with it, not only did its connection with Horde Prime possibly break, but there was nothing left to protect.”

Entrapta scribbled for a few moments on a pad of paper next to her computer, bottom lip trapped between her teeth as she concentrated. “All of this new knowledge...yes...yes... _yes_ , it all adds up according to my calculations! If she’s been using a spell to disguise her readings as nearly deceased, it would ward off any possible predators that _could_ find her. It would also coincide with my theory that it’s an intentionally caused error.”

The door to the lab slid open, revealing Hordak carrying a tray of small cupcakes and tiny vials of bubbly drinks. Entrapta swung over to him using her low hanging equipment and her hair to quickly plop a treat in her mouth. She pointed to one of the pastries and smirked. “Hor _dak,_ is this a super tiny cupcake on _top of_ a regular tiny cupcake?”

“The frosting did not spread as neatly as I would have preferred,” he complained, his reddening face betraying his usual stoic facade.

“It’s the thought that counts.” Entrapta smiled up at her partner before turning back to the group when Bow cleared his throat. “Oh, right...so I should make arrangements for two extractions then?”

________________

After a slew of random stammering and vague responses, Wrong Hordak had barged in before a final plan could be made and the Best Friend Squad took it as their cue (and excuse) to leave. Catra agreed to let Glimmer teleport them back to the castle, the pads of her feet sore from the early trek and her mind fried from mental exhaustion and way too much scientific talk.

“Oh, Catra? Your room is finally ready — you remember where it was I showed you?” Glimmer questioned as they made their way up the main steps of Brightmoon Castle.

“Oh, yeah I...I do. Th-Thanks, Sparkles.” Glimmer raised a brow but nodded nonetheless, taking Bow’s hand as he walked with her to the throne room for her evening briefing with Micah.

Adora gave Catra a knowing grin as they continued toward the living quarters of the castle. “You know...I’m not very fond of sleeping alone if you-”

“Yes,” Catra blurted out, snapping her mouth shut quickly when she realized how overeager she sounded. “I mean, you know...if you _really_ are so pathetic you can’t sleep alone.” She stuck her tongue out at the blonde before taking off in a sprint toward the bedroom, Melog on her heels. Adora caught up with relative ease, laughing with her girlfriend the entire sprint.

“T...Tie?” Adora panted, leaning against the frame of her door.

“I think...you used...She-Ra powers. Cheater.” Catra chuckled as Adora playful shoved her before opening the bedroom door.

Before Adora could ask the question that had been lingering at the very back of her mind for the last few hours, Catra turned on her heels to face her. “What do you think we should do?”

“About Shadow Weaver?”

“No, about the state of Etheria’s post-war economy- _yes_ about Shadow Weaver!” Catra took a deep breath and tried to quell the anger that was quickly building simply due to the conversation topic — _breathe in...and out..._ “Sorry...yes, Shadow Weaver. Sparkles and Bow said it was up to us, so...”

Adora averted her eyes for a moment from Catra’s intense stare — she could feel her girlfriend hoping she had all the answers right at the tip of her tongue. “I’m...I honestly don’t know, Catra. What she did when we were in the Horde...what she did to _you_.”

“I don’t think she meant to teleport herself.”

Adora snapped her attention back to the brunette, head tilted in confusion. “What makes you say that?”

“When I went to get her, so she could help me save you...” Catra paused, trying to recall every detail as to paint the clearest picture possible before continuing, “she had been drinking.”

“...you’re sure?”

“I mean, I’m _pretty_ positive. And I know she’d never admit it because heaven forbid she fuck a spell up but...she thought she was killing herself in the Crystal Castle, I’m sure of it.”

Adora paused, allowing the information to set in fully. “It doesn’t change what she’s done in the past.”

“No, but...is leaving her in another dimension the same as if we had killed her ourselves?”

The blonde stiffened, nails digging into her palms in a mix of frustration and anxiety over the dilemma. “So...you think we should get her back?” Adora confirmed, taking a step toward Catra and pulling her into a tight embrace. “Are you sure?”

“No, not really. But...I did some terrible things too, and I’m not saying I forgive her and I’m _not_ saying she deserves a second chance but...she doesn’t deserve death.”

Adora smiled into her girlfriend’s shoulder. “That’s very mature and out-of-character for you,” she joked, running a hand to the base of Catra’s tail and gently petting it.

“On Horde Prime’s ship I...I had a lot of time to think — compare myself to her, you know? Besides, she thinks she sacrificed herself for us. She _literally_ said, ‘you’re welcome’. I can’t _wait_ to see the look on her face when we get her back and I throw those words right back at her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope all my completely made-up science talk was convincing. The scene I dictated and then added to was from Season 3, for anyone who was curious. Let me know what you guys think and thank you for the amazing feedback so far.


	6. The Risks We Take

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old faces finally return.

_“What’s wrong Ador-...I mean_ **_She-Ra_ ** _?” Catra teased as she sauntered up to the blonde, hips swaying almost as much as her tail. Dark red button-up completely undone and adorning nothing more than a black pair of boy-shorts, the brunette placed a clawed hand against golden armor.“Is there something wrong with my outfit?”_

_She-Ra could barely concentrate, eyes locked onto Catra’s chest and she prayed to every known higher being that the shirt would open_ **_just a bit more_ ** _. “I-It’s...it’s very...appealing.” Her face darkened as the feline’s nails scrapped down her stomach, resting just below her belly button._

_Catra snorted, eyes half lidded as she leaned into She-Ra and slid her hand down the front of her girlfriend’s pants. “Even as a literal God, you’re still a complete dork.” She trailed her tongue across the blonde’s jawline before nipping at her ear, hand inching lower and lower under She-Ra’s waistband. “I can’t wait to-”_

Adora yelped as a giant paw made contact with her face, waking her up and out of her dream. Melog, perched on her chest, chattered and pawed at the woman until she was positive she had her attention. The feline then stood, circled, and yawned, before loafing on top of her friend and falling back asleep.

“Did she wake you up?” Catra groggily mumbled from next to Adora, her back turned toward her girlfriend as she weakly swatted at Melog. “G’on, go lay on the ground.”

_“Rwwwwwwwwwow nnnnn_.”

“I _know_ she has a comfortable chest, but _mine_.” Catra turned over and glared at Melog, the space cat conceding and moving toward the foot of the bed and curling back up. Scooting closer to Adora, eyes barely open, the brunette laid her head on a soft chest and sighed.

_“Mmmmmmmmpprrrrr.”_

“Shush. I promise I’ll get you something good from the kitchen for you later.” Catra curled deeper into Adora’s side as she kneaded at the girl’s stomach. “Mmmmm...have you gotten more...toned?”

“Hmmm?” Adora questioned, having slowly fallen back into a slumber during Catra’s argument with Melog. Reaching down and feeling her own body, she froze up. “Uh, Catra...can you...scoot over?”

“Lemme think ‘bout it....mmmmm....no.” She snuggled closer into Adora, tail coming around to rest across both their bodies.

Adora took a sharp intake of breath as the soft appendage grazed right above her groin. “C-Catra, seriously, push over.”

Furrowing her brow in growing annoyance, Catra huffed as she sat up to glare at her partner. “Adora, what is the-” she cut herself short when her eyes were met with the sight of a fully transformed She-Ra. “Uhm...”

She-Ra’s cheeks were darkened, refusing to make eye contact as she tugged the covers a little closer to better cover her lower half. “S-Sorry, I...with the portal stuff yesterday, my brain ran wild all night.”

_“The portal? So she...oh.”_ Catra thought bitterly, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and standing abruptly. “It’s...it’s fine, you can’t control it.”

Sensing her girlfriend’s upset, She-Ra threw the covers to the side and stood next to Catra, gripping her shoulder and looking down at her. “Wait, I thought you were...okay with all of this?” she asked, gesturing toward below her hips.

“I-” Catra cut herself short when she made the mistake — or more likely, very purposeful decision — to look where She-Ra had motioned. “...wow. That’s...impressive, even uh...through your shorts. Con...congrats?” Catra bit her bottom lip and grimaced, jealousy rising again as she thought of Angella.

She-Ra placed a large hand on Catra’s cheek and forced the feline to make eye contact with her. “I’m sorry that...that I have-”

Catra swatted her hand away and growled, crossing her arms over her chest and moving to stand away from She-Ra. “I don’t care about your _dick_ , Adora. I just...how can you expect me to _not_ get upset that you woke up _hard_ after thinking about Angella all night?! You said you were thinking about the portal and stuff and _why are you laughing_?!”

She-Ra wiped a tear from her eye and stepped up to her partner with a warm smile. “I said the portal made my mind race — I was stressed about today, so I had weird dreams. _That’s_ it.” She rolled her eyes when Catra frowned and turned to face away. 

“So what, are you Entrapta now? Thinking about technology and science gets you off?”

“I was thinking about _you_ , idiot!”

Catra blinked dumbly. “Wha...what?”

“Why is it so shocking that I might have had a dream about you?”

“...well... _I don’t know_!”

She-Ra wrapped her arms around Catra and pulled her close, resting her head on top of the brunette’s. “I had _stress_ dreams, and then a...much less stressful one. That’s usually how it happens.”

There was a long pause, She-Ra using the time to rub circles into Catra’s back until she elicited a low purr. She smiled when she heard the familiar noise, kissing the top of her girlfriend’s head and pulling them apart slightly to look into multi-colored eyes.

Catra’s face was darker than She-Ra had ever seen before, ears pinned back and tail audibly thumbing against the wooden floor. “So do you want me to...?”

_Every_ area of She-Ra stiffened as she weakly smirked. “Uh...I mean, yes, but...not now. I...I want to make love as _Adora_ first, not She-Ra.”

She-Ra worried she said the wrong thing when Catra frowned. “Ew. Don’t say ‘make love’, you loser.” The blonde relaxed when she was thrown as genuine smile. “I get it and...I...agree. Just...can you tell me about your dream at least?”

____________

Glimmer woke up to the sensation of small and lingering kisses being placed on her face, each one lasting a little longer than the last. She squirmed in her sleep, enjoying the attention but still wishing to stay in a deep sleep as long as possible. When fingers began combing through her hair to gently rest of the nape of her neck, the queen finally accepted her fate and opened her eyes.

“G’morning,” Bow cooed down at her, smiling from his position standing next to her bed.

“I’m really liking this new tradition.” Glimmer scooted over in her bed to allow her boyfriend to sit on the edge, humming contently as he continued his ministrations on her neck.

“I used to wake you up nicely all the time, just...with gentle music and not... _you know_.”

“Kisses?” Glimmer grinned at the bashful look Bow gave, taking his hand and placing her own lips against its knuckles. She reveled at the shudder that ran through his body, no matter how small it was. “You’re right, you’re right. You’ve always been sweet.”

“I talked to Adora — well... _She-Ra_ , specifically — before coming in here,” Bow mentioned, pulling the metaphorical bandaid off.

“What did they decide?” When the archer gave a simple look in return, Glimmer nodded. “I’m not surprised.”

“Are you...alright though? I know you insisted it be their decision but...it’s not like you didn’t have to deal with her too.”

Glimmer nudged Bow, indicating her desire to get up and smiling when he complied. Making her way toward her dresser and quickly picking out an outfit, the queen stepped behind a screen divider and began changing. “I never had a _terrible_ experience with her — or at least, not one that warranted leaving her in a void till the end of time. But...ugh, I don’t know. That’s why I wanted them to make the choice, they’re the ones with the baggage and it only seemed fair.”

When Glimmer stepped out from behind the divider, completely clothed, she grinned. Hand covering his eyes and body turned, Bow sat patiently waiting for his girlfriend to be done. “Tch, Bow, that’s what the divider is for.”

“I just want to make sure I’m being respectf- ** _ful_** ,” Bow’s voice cracked as he felt Glimmer embrace him from behind, her chest pressed into his shoulder blades.

“Maybe I don’t want you to always be so _respectful_ ,” Glimmer whispered into his ear before planting a kiss on his cheek. Grabbing her cape and placing it over her shoulders, the queen opened the door before looking back over her shoulder at Bow. “Well, are you coming?”

“I’m...I’m so conflicted. How can I respect you if you want me to _disrespect_ you?! Am I being disrespectful by not respecting your request to be disrespected?!”

Glimmer laughed, rolling her eyes as she went back to grab Bow’s hand and drag him out of the room. “Forget I said anything. Let’s go lover boy, we have a meeting with my dad.”

____________

Glimmer had refrained from mentioning Entrapta’s experiment when she spoke to her father the night before — she wanted the plan, especially involving Shadow Weaver, to be set in stone before getting anyone’s hopes up. Entering the throne room with a tight grip on Bow’s hand, the former princesses took a deep breath before addressing Micah.

“Morning Dad,” she spoke after a moment, her smile fading once her father turned around to reveal a large insect sticking halfway out of his mouth.

“Mrnin Bby ‘irl,” Micah welcomed with a mouth full of bug, giving a wide smile before pushing the rest of his food into his mouth and swallowing.

“ _Dad_! We have _other_ things to eat here!”

Pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbing his lips, Micah let out a deep chuckle. “One of these days I’ll convince you to try it — very tender, surprisingly. Just have to make sure to remove the-”

Glimmer put her hands up and groaned. “Please stop, _please_.”

“So particular,” her father jeered, walking over and throwing an arm around Glimmer, “you get _that_ from your mother.”

“Speaking of,” Glimmer began as she untangled herself from Micah’s embrace, smile spread ear to ear over the information she was about to share, “well, I have some really good news. You remember our friend, Entrapta?”

Micah frowned for a moment, recalling the numerous meals she stole from him while on Beast Island, before reminding himself she _did_ help save the universe. “I...recall.”

“Well...long story short...she’s gonna bring mom back!”

The sorcerer stared at his daughter in disbelief before breaking out into a huge grin, wasting no time in scooping Glimmer up and spinning her around in a circle. “How is that...what do you...I can’t believe it!”

Bow’s heart filled with pure joy at the display in front of him, words unable to describe how truly happy he was for his girlfriend. He knew how hard it had been for Glimmer the last few years, and the prospect of having both of her parents at the same time must have been a dream come true for her.

As the laughter died down and Micah placed Glimmer’s feet back on the ground, the queen decided it was now or never. “We’re supposed to meet at Entrapta’s lab shortly, so we better get going and oh also _we’rebringingShadowWeaverbackbecauseshe’snotdead._ Alright, let’s go get Adora and Cat-”

“Why would you _ever_ willing bring that woman back from...from... _anywhere_?!” Micah bellowed, calming himself slightly when he noticed his daughter wince at the level of his voice. “Baby Girl, I know you’re the queen now, and I’m _very_ proud of you, but...is this the best course of action for the future of Brightmoon?”

Glimmer felt herself straight up, subconsciously switching into a more formal persona. “I left the choice up to Adora and Catra. As former Horde soldiers and two of my closest confidants, I trust their judgement on the matter.”

“And I’m sure they put a lot of thought into the decision but...she’s _very_ sneaky, Glimmer. She manipulates people. She manipulated _me_. I just wish you had-” Micah paused as he felt a hand on his shoulder, Glimmer giving him an understanding smile.

“Dad, I’m sorry I didn’t ask you, and I _know_ the position she put you in back in Mystacor was terrible. But...I knew what your answer would be, and...you weren’t the one she hurt the worst.”

Micah let his daughter’s words sink in for a moment before nodding, cupping her cheek in his hand and kissing her forehead. “Angie really raised a responsible and compassionate daughter, huh?”

“I get it from my dad.” Glimmer hugged her father tightly, rolling her eyes when she heard Bow ‘aww’. Breaking away and noticing Catra and Adora enter the room, the queen took a deep breath to clear her mind for what would most likely be an emotionally draining day.

“Hey, you’re Adora again!” Bow pointed out before winking at Catra.

“Wh-why does _he_ know about it?” Catra nearly shouted, gaining the attention of Glimmer and Micah from across the room.

“Know about what?” The sorcerer questioned as he and his daughter joined the others by the throne room entrance.

“A-About Catra and I! Yeah, you know...we’ve...really taken our time telling everyone! Ha ha. Ha. _Ha_.” Adora stumbled over herself as she threw an arm around Catra’s waist, much to the feline’s confusion.

“What are you-”

“Bow,” Micah began, cutting Catra off and turning toward the archer with a serious look on his face, “they’ve been together since the Horde, how did you not notice?”

Glimmer had to cover her mouth to hold back a laugh as Bow looked at the couple to find _some_ indication on what he should say. “I...I uh, well I...have two dads, you know? I...” he sighed, resigning to the worst and least believable lie he could think of, “just forgot that two moms can exist too.”

Silence filled the throne room — minus Glimmer’s muffled hysterics — as Micah continued to stare at Bow with boot-shaking intensity. “Well,” he finally spoke, taking another step toward the young man before breaking out into a hearty laugh and wide smile, “we can all do better to be more inclusive and accepting!”

“Yes!” Adora agreed, thanking her lucky stars Micah didn’t ask for any further clarification.

“What?!” Bow was dumbstruck, and slightly embarrassed by the fact his girlfriend’s father thought he was stupid enough to misread Adora and Catra’s relationship. The archer was the _most_ accepting person, if he did say so himself.

“Come, we have my wife to save!” Micah cheered, throwing an arm around Bow and leading him out of the room toward the front of the castle.

“Alright, does someone want to explain to me what the _fuck_ just happened? _Also_ , since when have we been together _since the Horde_?!”

Adora smirked, having relaxed now that Micah was out of earshot. “Catra, yes, Bow knows about...She-Ra’s-”

“ _Asset_?” Catra snickered at the eye roll she was given.

“ _Yes_ , that.”

“Most of the Rebellion knows. You know, minus say...Frosta or, well...my dad,” Glimmer clarified, giving Adora an intense side eye. “We had plenty of meetings where Adora showed up as She-Ra or, you know, the few times she _transformed_ during them.”

“How did I _never_ notice it all of the times we fought?!” 

“It’s not there when I’m She-Ra _every_ time, just...sometimes.”

Catra paused for a moment, looking between Glimmer and Adora before giving a toothy grin. “Oh ho _ho_ , so Micah doesn’t know because...you know. But what if you transform when you see her?” She laughed for a moment before realizing she unintentionally made herself jealous again. 

“Adora, I swear to _god_ I am not throwing Bow under the bus again if that happens! I’ll already have to apologize for what _just_ occurred!” Glimmer shook her head, leading Adora and Catra out of the room to join the others. She looked over her shoulder at the two before chuckling. “So, you did transform back into Adora though. You guys...?”

“I dealt with it,” Adora answered too quickly and honestly. She frowned when Catra sped up to walk next to Glimmer instead so the two could laugh at her expense.

____________

When the group approached the Crypto Castle, they were surprised to find much of Entrapta’s equipment outside and in front of the main doors. The princess was hard at work with both Hordak’s, the trio typing away at various computers and keyboards spread throughout the entrance courtyard. She turned as she noticed her friends from Brightmoon approaching, sliding her goggles off and giving them a thumbs up with her hair.

“All is according to plan, friends! We ran into a _teensy_ issue with housing the new extraction portal inside the lab due to the projected size once opened, but no need to worry!”

“I can’t believe, that in a _few_ minutes, I’m going to finally have both parents,” Glimmer confided quietly to Bow, lacing her fingers with his and squeezing his hand in excitement. 

“She’s going to be so proud of you, Glimmer. I know I am.” Bow gazed lovingly at the queen, using his thumb to stroke circling against her knuckles.

“Adora, there _is_ something I need to ask of you.” Entrapta approached the blonde and grabbed onto her arm with a purple tendril, dragging Adora toward the machine. “While running a test earlier this morning, each time the portal hit ninety-five percent full potential, our circuits strained too much and I had to shut it down to avoid a _complete_ meltdown.”

“Wait, so this _isn’t_ going work? Because-” Entrapta clapped a hand over Adora’s mouth, shushing the girl.

“By all calculations, it will most _definitely_ work! It just needs a little... _boost_ ,” Entrapta explained, waggling her brow and smirking. She gestured toward a thick slit in the side of what Adora could only assume was the main source of power. “When running the numbers and accounting for an extra burst of _She-Ra_ power, all possible miscalculations became well...calculated. It would ensure a complete success rate.”

Without another word, Adora conjured her sword into existence and raised it to the sky. “For the honor...of Grayskull!” She turned when she noticed Catra’s eyes on her from afar, throwing a wink toward her girlfriend and smirking when she was given the middle finger and a smile.

“Excellent! Now, let’s...get... _weird_.” Entrapta flipped her goggles back on before motioning toward the others as to where to stand safely. “If at any point, any of you feel light headed, let me know! I wish to examine you and question your symptoms _immediately.”_

When everything was finally in order, she brought the machine to life, various lights instantaneously flashing. She-Ra stood in awe of the giant machine as it began to create a beautiful swirl of purple and black. She gave Glimmer an encouraging nod from her position near the contraption, as she prepared to insert her sword.

“Vitals are stable...bioscan seems to show organic life forms being pulled closer toward us in space and time...” Entrapta narrated to no one in particular. “Hordak, release membranial fluid into the portal!”

Taking a large vial of orange liquid out of his lab coat pocket, Hordak uncapped and screwed it onto the main arch of the machine. The surrounding area exploded in white light before fading back down a moment later.

“ _Excellent_ ,” Entrapta laughed with a bit of maniacal energy. She nodded at Wrong Hordak who began typing furiously on his computer, tongue sticking out the side of his mouth as he pushed himself to breakneck speeds. The princess turned her attention back to the screen in front of her. “We’re at ninety-two percent full power. She-Ra, on my count, insert your sword and give it everything you have! Everyone who doesn’t have protective goggles — which, you all _really_ should have been more prepared — close your eyes when I hit one.”

“Got it!” She-Ra responded, steadying herself as much as possible in anticipation of any sort of recoil.

“5...”

Glimmer reached out and took her father’s hand within her own, looking up at him and giving a tearful smile.

“4...”

“3...”

Melog shrank behind Catra’s legs, tail tucked as she made herself as small as possible.

“2...”

“1...” Entrapta finally called out, everyone’s eyes snapping shut including She-Ra’s once the sword’s tip was lined with the machine’s port. “ _Now._ ”

Slamming her weapon in to the hilt, She-Ra let out a bloodcurdling scream, eyes forced open as magical energy escaped from every orifice as she held a tight grip on her sword.

“Almost... _almost_...” she could hear Entrapta say, though the princess’s voice began to become hazy. She-Ra could feel her energy draining quickly, the blonde grounding her feet to stabilize herself further as she continued give as much power as she could. Searing pain shot through her abdomen, and though in any other circumstance she would have tended to it, she pushed through the harsh burning sensation.

A beam of light shot down from the clouds and entered the machine through a large metal spire on its arch’s peak, the portal itself quickly changing to a murkier hue.

“Everyone, you can open your eyes. It...was...a...success! She-Ra, your power is no longer needed.”

She-Ra collapsed on the ground, transforming back into Adora before her body even reached the dirt. Noticing before the others, Entrapta rushed over and sat the blonde upright against one of the tables.

“Adora!” Catra shouted as she rushed over, skidding on her knees as she took her place next to Entrapta.

“S-Stomach...” 

Lifting Adora’s shirt, Catra’s breath hitched at the large burn still radiating heat across her girlfriend’s abdomen. 

Turning and noticing the others beginning to run to her side, Entrapta waved them off. “She’ll be fine, the machine needs space to ventilate though so you can’t all crowd around over here!” Satisfied once the group backed away, the princess summoned for Hordak. “Hurry and get the electrical burn cream I created last week.”

“The one in your bedside drawer?”

Entrapta nodded, smiling as her lab partner ran off to follow her instructions. She turned back to Catra and giggled when she noticed the feline beginning to lean down toward Adora’s stomach. “Though it may be in your instinct, I encourage you not to lick her wound.” Catra snapped back upright, frowning and blushing. “If you can lift her, move Adora to be with the others. I don’t want her getting hit with something else in case any interference flies through before our targets!”

Obeying Entrapta, Catra scooped Adora up in her arms and carried her toward her friends. Once close enough, Bow reached out to help the brunette carefully lay her on the ground.

“Catra, is she o-”

“Go,” Catra instructed, silencing Glimmer mid-sentence. “Be with your dad right now, Adora will be fine. Bow and I got her.” She gave a soft grin to the queen, who nodded in return.

“According to my readings, our first...wait...what’s _this_?” Entrapta flipped her mask up and squinted at the reading.

“What?! What’s wron-” Glimmer shielded her eyes as crimson light blasted out of the portal, turning back only when it seemed that it began to fade. “Entrapta, what happened?!”

Before Entrapta could explain, a dark figure began to appear within the portal, growing larger and larger the closer it grew to their dimension. Grabbing onto her father’s arm in suspense, Glimmer was both the most excited she had ever been, and the most terrified.

“It’s gonna be alright, Baby Girl,” Micah assured, patting his daughter’s hand with his own.

White smoke began to pour out of the portal as the machine hissed in release, the figure finally stepping through and into Etheria. Every step was a little weaker than the last, and after she was a safe distance from the archway, she collapsed to her knees. The dust finally began to settle, giving the onlookers a much clearer view. Glimmer seized up, blood draining from her body for a moment.

Barely conscious and on her knees was Shadow Weaver, face just as scarred as ever but clothes torn mostly to shreds. Her hair was matted, eyes bloodshot, and a large portion of the top of her left ear was torn off and missing. Breathing ragged and uneven, she looked down in her arms at the woman she had carried through the portal.

“Mom!” Glimmer yelled as she broke contact with her father and rushed to Shadow Weaver’s side, letting out a sigh of relief as she noticed Angella’s chest rising and falling the smallest amount, even in her unconscious state. Though unable to fully inspect her mother’s physical condition, she was more than relieved that the woman was at least _alive_.

Looking around at the small gathering of people present for their return, Shadow Weaver chuckled darkly. “Well, this is a _much_ larger crowd than I would have expected for my return.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning now, Shadow Weaver is a mess but also I love her so the story will reflect that accordingly. Thank you all for reading!


	7. The Love We Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All luxuries come at a price.

_“_ **_I love you,_ ** _” an angelic voice echoed in Shadow Weaver’s mind, her body in immense pain as she felt as though every molecule was being ripped apart and reformed. She didn’t understand the source of discomfort, but in a way it was welcomed after days of feeling absolutely nothing in her void._

_“_ **_That’s really a horrid idea,”_ ** _she heard her own, younger voice respond. Why was this memory playing now of all times? “_ **_Besides, you should focus a little more attention on preparing to love your husband._ ** _”_

_“_ **_An arranged marriage hardly counts as a marriage, Light Spinner._ ** _”_

_“_ **_It does in Brightmoon._ ** _”_

_“_ **_Well, what if I stay in Mystacor with you, forever?_ ** _”_

_“_ **_You’d tire of me, like everyone else in this wretched place._ ** _”_

_“_ **_It’s been over a year, I don’t think that’s happening this late in the game._ ** _”_

_Shadow Weaver screamed in agony — or rather, her existing consciousness in the space between multiple realms did. Light began to engulf her, sizzling and burning the closer and closer it came. Had her disguising spell not worked? Had Horde Prime been victorious and come to punish anyone that aided the Rebellion?_

_“Well,” she thought to herself, “if those imbeciles in Mystacor had listened to me in the first place, this all would have been avoided.”_

_After a few more moments in excruciating and searing pain, the light began to fade and Shadow Weaver was surrounded by complete darkness. It took a glance or two, but she soon noticed a single source of light far in the distance and began to follow it._

_“_ **_Why do you stay here when no one respects you?_ ** _” the same, soft voice from earlier questioned._

_“_ **_Sometimes you must command respect, not simply expect to be given it, even if its deserved._ ** _”_

_“_ **_We could run away together then. Travel all of Etheria, just the two of us._ ** _”_

_Shadow Weaver winced as she entered the illuminated room, opening her eyes and startling herself when she could see her own hands. Looking down, she furrowed her brow, confused by the return of her worldly body._

_“Nnnnngh...” she heard someone groan from further in to the illumination, the sorcerer wobbly on her feet as she slowly regained the knowledge of how to walk. The more unbearably bright the world around her became, the louder the other person’s pained noises became._

_“Who’s there?” Shadow Weaver demanded, though in a much weaker tone than she would have preferred._

_“Sh...ow...eaver...” the voice was becoming weaker and weaker, but Shadow Weaver could still make out her own name. Whoever it was, it didn’t sound as though they’d last much longer, but the intensity of the surrounding light was becoming too much for her eyes to handle._

_Mustering most of her remaining energy, Shadow Weaver’s eyes began to glow before a blast of crimson magic shot out around her, changing the once bright white light to a bearable pulsating red. Weakened significantly from the use of her powers, she forced her feet to keep moving forward._

_A figure, collapsed and barely breathing, steadily came in to view as Shadow Weaver approached. Scarce light glinted off of the figure’s forehead as the silhouette’s wings attempted to spread out, doing so no more than a few inches before seizing up._

_“I’m not going to hurt you,” Shadow Weaver assured, carefully stepping toward Angella and bending down next to her, “but I’m also not letting you slow me down.” Looking up, she noticed her magic was draining out of a single, pinhole sized spot nearby. She struggled for a moment as she tried to lift the former queen, nearly falling over herself in the process._

_“Th...ank...you,” Angella forced out, closing her eyes and resting her head against Shadow Weaver’s chest._

_“At least some one thanks me for saving them,” Shadow Weaver mused to herself, dragging her feet as she began the slow process of bringing herself and Angella to what she hoped was the exit._

~

“Stop moving around so much! I can’t bandage you when you squirm!” Catra chided as she threw her leg over Adora’s hips, effectively straddling her lower half and pinning the girl beneath her. Taking a tube of cream Entrapta had given them before their teleport back to Brightmoon, the brunette slathered a generous amount on her girlfriend’s bare stomach. “Stop being such a baby.”

“How many times do I have to tell you it _burns_!” Adora grabbed a pillow that was leaning against her headboard, and groaned into it. She stayed in this position till she felt Catra’s hands cease their ministrations on her injured abdomen, the blonde tossing the cushion to the side and sighing.

“You’re not done yet blondie,” Catra informed as she rolled off of Adora and kneeled on the mattress next to her. “Stand up so I can wrap the bandage.”

Sighing but obliging, Adora scooted to the edge of the bed before standing, turning so her injury could easily be accessed by her still kneeling partner. Rummaging through a bag of supplies Entrapta had gifted them, Catra pulled out a thick roll of beige medical wrap and began dressing the wound.

“Thanks...for doing all this.” 

“Yeah well, what did you think I’d do?”

“Try and lick it clean, honestly.”

Catra chose to refrain from recounting the scolding she received from Entrapta when she initially tried that. “Well...that’s a dumb thing to think...dummy.” Ignoring the insult and cupping soft cheeks with her hands, Adora pulled her girlfriend in for a kiss. It only lasted a moment, but by the end of it, the feline’s ears were relaxed and tail twitching. 

“Well, I’ve been told I’m a dumb jock.” Giving Catra one last scratch behind the ear, Adora grabbed her shirt from the bedpost and slid it back on. “Have you heard from Glimmer? How are they doing?”

“Sparkles, her dad, and Bow are still hanging out with Angella, but like Entrapta warned, it might be a few days before she wakes up. She’s stable though and has some of her color back. You know, you’re not overstepping if you-”

“I want to give them some space, I’m not worried about...overstepping or anything like that but...well, this is Glimmer’s thing right now. As long as Angella is healing and improving then that’s all I need to know.”

Catra nodded, watching intently as Adora sat at her vanity and combed the knots out of her hair. “All right, your choice. I’m just saying, I’m not gonna get jealous or anything.”

“It’s only been a day since we got back from Dryl in the first place. _I_ still think Micah being in the room when she wakes is a terrible idea. She doesn’t even know he’s alive right now and as... _romantic_ as I’m sure that sounds to everyone, she doesn’t need any surprises out of left field the minute she comes to.”

“Yeah yeah, I know how you feel about it. You know,” Catra purred as she approached Adora, wrapping her arms around the blonde from behind and nuzzling her shoulder, “it’s okay to let other people handle it. For someone who _doesn’t_ want to overstep...”

Adora sighed and tilted her head away from Catra, allowing her girlfriend better access to her neck. “What about Shadow Weaver?”

“Since she passed out _after_ coming through, Entrapta thinks she’ll recover a little faster — might be any minute now.”

______________________________

She didn’t remember finally succumbing to her exhaustion, but as she slowly woke in an overly comfortable and vibrantly _pink_ bed, Shadow Weaver realized not even she had been impervious to the pain a trip through time and space caused. She looked around for a moment at the empty room — what had she expected, to be surrounded by her loved ones awaiting the moment she woke? She rolled her eyes, shifting against the mattress to sit herself upright. 

Her mouth was painstakingly dry — a bottle of red wine would have been _fantastic —_ but the sorcerer was content with the large glass of water left at her bedside. Taking a few sips before placing it back down, Shadow Weaver contemplated what she should do with her unsupervised time. Sure, she had been in Brightmoon castle before — even roamed it freely for a while — but she was still too weak to go rummaging around anywhere. Moving carefully, and with the utmost caution, she moved her legs to hang over the side of the bed before standing, wobbly at first but able to steady herself in mere moments.

There was a body length mirror in the corner, and while a part of her worried she looked as terrible as she felt, Shadow Weaver let curiosity get the best of her. Using various pieces of furniture when she could as supports, each step took a little less effort than the last. She scowled when she finally caught her own reflection, eyes immediately locking on to her tattered earlobe. Running her slender fingers against the freshly sown gash, she winced — it felt almost unnatural to touch where skin was previously occupied by cartilage. 

Shadow Weaver stumbled toward the large bay window of the room, noticing a small stack of books next to it. Having resigned to the fact no one would be checking on her anytime soon, she lifted the first piece of material off the pile.

_“‘A Guide to Princess Prom’? Sounds...riveting,”_ she sarcastically thought to herself as she crawled up and into the cushioned window seat, opening to the first page. _“‘Chapter One — Finding the Right Look for You’.”_

~

_“I don’t understand why you can’t be my date — it says_ **_right here_ ** _that I can bring whoever I want.”_

_“Because your parents will want to use the party as an excuse to show you off to possible suitors.”_

_“And you’re just...okay with that?”_

_Light Spinner massaged the bridge of her nose in frustration at the young woman in front of her. “Of...of course I don’t find it_ **_ideal_ ** _, but it’s not a decision left up to me.”_

_“Then shouldn’t it at least be_ **_my_ ** _decision?! Princess Prom is supposed to be..._ **_fun_ ** _, but instead I’ll be walked around and showed off.”_

_Bristling at the idea, Light Spinner took her lover’s hands within her own before placing a kiss on her forehead. The sorcerer smirked at the look of confusion it garnered. “You should try and not let it concern you, my angel. For all we know, the weather in Brightmoon that day may not..._ **_cooperate_ ** _and the whole ordeal may need cancelation.”_

_Light Spinner sighed as soft, pink lips collided into hers._

~

“Why are you not in bed?!” a loud, boisterous voice questioned, startling Shadow Weaver out of her dream. Looking around in disorientation, she soon realized her had fallen asleep in the comfort of the cushioned window. She turned toward the source of interruption and frowned.

“Catra,” she acknowledged, placing the book back on the pile and standing. The latter proved to be a bad idea as her legs began to give way to her weight, the sorcerer nearly hitting the ground before being scooped up in Catra’s arms.

“Easy there, shouldn’t be tryna get up so fast in your old age,” Catra jeered, escorting Shadow Weaver to a nearby chair and helping her sit.

“Why are _you_ of all people assisting me?”

“Because you’re hurt, and if Adora’s taught me one thing, it’s that sometimes we help people we hate when they can’t help themselves.” Shadow Weaver rolled her eyes, though was taken aback when Catra glared. “Forget you don’t have a mask anymore and everyone can see your face?”

Placing a hand up to her cheek, Shadow Weaver recoiled — she was so concerned with her ear earlier, that she had completely overlooked her missing mask. Her jawline clenched when she heard Catra laugh at her confusion. “I should assume you came here looking for gratitude.”

“Not really, I don’t expect you to ever acknowledge-” Catra was cut short as Shadow Weaver lifted a hand to silence her former soldier.

“You and I...are very similar. Life was never easy for either of us and while I have no intention of sharing my most intimate life experiences with you...” Shadow Weaver paused to think, realizing she was wavering a bit off her initial admission. “Regardless...you did something I never could have done.”

“...which is?” Catra asked, ears folded low as her distrust mounted.

“I am right to assume Adora let you decide my fate, no? You had every opportunity to leave your greatest enemy alone in a distant dimensional void. But you chose what you thought was right, even though it was against your own personal feelings.”

Catra blinked in a mix of surprised and rising upset — even when it seemed as though this woman was praising her, it forced bile up the brunette’s throat. “Well...you’re welcome, I guess.” The statement felt much less satisfying than Catra had initially envisioned.

Shadow Weaver chuckled darkly. “I never _actually_ said ‘thank you’.” She smirked at her former cadet and _holy shit, Catra was going to throw this woman back into the dimensional abyss._ “But...it goes without saying.”

Taking a step back and averting her eyes, Catra scoffed. “Well, don’t get too chummy just yet. I have a feeling you’re not gonna like the stipulations of you staying here.”

Before Shadow Weaver could inquire, the door to the Brightmoon bedroom opened to reveal Adora, face stern and stride commanding respect. It sent a chill down the sorcerer’s spine, if she was completely honest, though she kept her newly unmasked face stoic. 

“I’m...genuinely happy to see you’re awake.” Adora took her spot next to Catra, her girlfriend wrapping her tail around the blonde’s waist protectively. The gesture was not lost on Shadow Weaver who mustered the self-control to avoid reacting. Not that she cared by any stretch of the imagination — now that Etheria was safe, she didn’t much have an opinion on their relationship. It was just painfully apparent that the world was nearly destroyed on multiple occasions due to their bickering and that was a bit frustrating.

“Adora, it’s nice to see you succeeded in defeating Horde Prime. For a moment I thought _he_ might be the one summoning my consciousness.” 

“We defeated Horde Prime, _together,_ ” Adora clarified, gesturing toward Catra though her eyes remained locked on the older woman. “But...it can’t be ignored that your sacrifice was a major factor in our success.”

“ _Sacrifice_?” Shadow Weaver questioned with feigned surprise. “I merely teleported mysel-”

“You fucked up the spell, I’m not an idiot!” Catra blurted out before thinking, recoiling a bit when she noticed two pairs of eyes on her. Deciding she was already too far in, she continued, “You would never, _ever_ tell me you were ‘proud’ unless you thought you were taking your final breaths. You finally did _one_ slightly redeemable thing in your life, and you’re trying to brush it off as self-serving? Doesn’t that seem...oh, I don’t know... _stupid_?”

“Catra...” Adora placed a hand on the girl in question’s shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze, “I...got it from here. Why don’t you check in on Glimmer and them?” 

“Ugh, _fine_.” Giving one last distraught glare over her shoulder at Shadow Weaver, Catra stormed out of the room.

Adora turned back toward her former mentor, eyes narrowing. “You have nothing to say?”

“In relation to?”

“Well, usually you would have said something sarcastic like, ‘that girl was _always_ so short to anger’ or you know... _something_.”

Shadow Weaver broke eye contact with Adora, looking out across the room toward the sunlight pouring in from the window. The blonde furrowed her brow — this was the first time she ever remembered the former commander being the one to avert her gaze. It was much more common that Shadow Weaver was causing discomfort in others.

“Adora...” Shadow Weaver drawled, keeping her sight set on the illumination outside. There were a lot of things she wanted to say, yet every time she began to speak the words died on her lips. “...Catra mentioned certain terms to my rescue.” It wasn’t what she had wanted to come out, but at least it broke the silence that had fallen.

“Right...yes, those. Wait right here,” Adora commanded before rushing out of the room, only to return a few moments later carrying a brown satchel. Standing in front of Shadow Weaver and reaching in, the younger girl pulled out a mechanical bracelet, small lights flickering every few moments on its reflective surface.

Shadow Weaver raised a brow. “To stop me from leaving Brightmoon?”

Adora shook her head.

“The castle?”

She shook her head again.

“This _room_?” Shadow Weaver was growing a bit impatient, but noticing Adora was struggling, she kept her temper in check. “Then _what_?”

“Entrapta built this device. It...blocks any magical properties from the wearer.” When Adora noticed Shadow Weaver stiffen, she added, “if you’re staying in this dimension, you have to give up your powers.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never thought I'd write a fan fiction with this many off-the-walls plot points and have such an overwhelming positive response, and I thank all of you for the constant support!


	8. The Chances We Get

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After days of anticipation throughout the Brightmoon castle, Angella finally awakens.

“You _do_ understand what you’re asking of me?” Shadow Weaver stood from her chair, wobbling a bit but waving off Adora’s attempts to help steady her.

“Yes, and you _need_ to understand you’re not just being forgiven for all of your past misdeeds.” Adora crossed her arms over her chest and sized up the other woman, chest puffed and eyes narrowed.

Shadow Weaver knew Adora was right, and she was well aware that the stipulations of her stay were not at all unreasonable. If she were in the Rebellion’s position...well, she might have just left herself in the vast void of space and time. But the sorcerer _refused_ to be seen as weak — if she simply agreed to the terms, what did that say about her? That she could easily be persuaded? That she was willing to give up everything she had worked for just like _that_?

“ _Adora..._ be reasonable! How am I expected to...to _function_?” Shadow Weaver stiffened, cursing the whiny and uncharacteristically childish tone her voice was taking. Maybe it had been the time she spent between dimensions, maybe it had been the painful trip back to reality, or maybe it was the fear of being thrown back through the portal — whatever it was, something was bringing out the most vulnerable parts of Shadow Weaver, and she _despised_ it. “Without my magic, I am _nothing_.”

Adora was taken aback by the sudden bout of honesty, but she kept her resolve strong — how could she be certain this wasn’t some sort of mind game to manipulate her? The blonde wasn’t sure how to respond, and it left her feeling awkward and displaced. “You have...other...qualities...”

Shadow Weaver couldn’t help but snicker at her former student’s struggle, raising a brow and waiting for further clarification. “Well?”

“...I know Angella didn’t carry herself out of that portal.” A dark silence filled the room, Shadow Weaver taking her seat once more as her legs began to ache — she was still far from fully recovered. She hated having her face bared to the world and knew Adora could read every emotion etched on it. “And...I know why you did it.”

“...you have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Adora sighed as she took a step closer to Shadow Weaver and kneeled next to her, placing a comforting hand on her knee. The sorcerer winced — she couldn’t remember the last time someone had initiated contact with her, and it felt as though Adora’s hand left a burn on her skin. In a way, she hoped it did.

“Shadow Weaver...I need an answer.”

“What choice do I have?” Shadow Weaver took a deep breath and lifted her frock just enough to expose her ankles, presenting one to Adora. The blonde nodded in understanding, opening the device and snapping it around grayed skin.

Shadow Weaver expected it to hurt — _wished_ it would — but with her state already weakened, there was no difference once the anklet was attached. Adora entered a few numbers on the device’s small interface, a long beep emanating from it before a light shone green. The blonde stood back up and gave a small smile.

“When you first turned on Hordak and came to Brightmoon, I convinced Glimmer and Bow that you had changed. I wanted to see the good in everyone, _even_ former Horde members, because if I could change, so could they.” Adora headed towards the door before adding, “and even after everything that happened with Horde Prime — even after you tried to keep Catra and I apart — I still believe there’s good in everyone.” She looked over her shoulder at Shadow Weaver as she opened the door to exit. “So...please...don’t prove me wrong.”

___________________

The next few days passed with little fanfare as the castle continued to await Angella’s awakening. Glimmer — unless needed for an emergency royal decree — spent nearly every hour of every day by her mother’s bedside, reading to her, talking to her, and watching her vitals via the machinery Entrapta had loaned them. Though Micah was eager to be reunited with his wife, the sorcerer allowed his daughter bouts of privacy.

Shadow Weaver, on the other hand, was never truly given the luxury of privacy. Though under the stipulations of her stay in Brightmoon she was allowed to roam freely, she never shook the feeling that a guard — or _Catra_ — was always somewhere in the shadows, watching her. Most of her days were spent tending to the flowers she had left in the castle’s greenhouse, her mood brightening the first time she visited to see someone had continued watering them in her absence.She kept to herself, waking with a cup of tea and falling asleep with a glass of wine. It was a much simpler existence than she had been used to, but it was not an unlikable one.

“Shadow Weaver,”Glimmer greeted as she entered the greenhouse, approaching the kneeling woman and furrowing her brow. “Are you...wearing _pants_?”

Donning a long sleeve top — not dissimilar to her usual attire — and a pair of black slacks, Shadow Weaver stood and gave a slight bow to the queen. It felt awkward to be so formal but hey, she was _trying_ at least. 

“Did you all think I would live in a single outfit the rest of my life? Most of my worldly possessions were abandoned back in the Frightzone, which as you know, has since been destroyed.”

“Yeah sure, but... _pants_?”

Shadow Weaver waved off the queen as she kneeled back down next to a patch of roses. “Was there something you needed? It’s not often I have visitors.”

Rolling her eyes, the queen took a look around at the rest of the flowers, occasionally leaning to smell the fresh scents. “I want to make a bouquet to put in...in my mother’s room. It might be nice to brighten up the place for when she wakes up.”

“Ah yes, the migraine-inducing pink is most _definitely_ not bright enough.” Standing once more, Shadow Weaver seemed to skate on air as she examined the various different species and subspecies of plants in her garden, taking her scissors and carefully cutting loose half a dozen daisies.

“Aren’t they a little...simple?” Glimmer questioned as Shadow Weaver handed the batch of freshly cut flowers to her.

“They’ll be appreciated, trust me.”

Glimmer narrowed her eyes at the sorcerer’s choice of words but nodded nonetheless. “...thanks.”

“How is she doing?”

“Really good, actually. Entrapta and Hordak stopped by yesterday to check on her condition and said she’ll probably be up in the next twenty-fourhours or so.”

“That’s...pleasant news.” Shadow Weaver bowed and brushed passed the queen. “My apologies your highness, but I must be going.”

“O-Oh. Alright, yeah I...probably should go check on mom anyways,” Glimmer said to herself more than the other woman, Shadow Weaver having abruptly exited before the queen could finish her farewell.

Shadow Weaver bristled as she walked through the halls of the castle — she was _beyond_ through with hearing Hordak’s name. How was it fair he was given asylum in Etheria so simply? What did _he_ have to give up in order to obtain his freedom? Were the things _she_ did really worse than the things Hordak did?

The thing that bothered Shadow Weaver the most, however, was the fact she _cared_ so much about how the others saw her. Since when did redemption mean this much to her? Did she hate to be upstaged by Catra and thus felt shamed into it? Or had being close to Angella again — _holding_ her again — really made that much of a difference?

Shadow Weaver frowned — maybe this is why Hordak was accepted so freely, because he showed the ability to _love_ someone other than himself.

___________________

Angella felt an icy chill run through her bones, eyelids spasming as consciousness began to overtake her. The faint sound of beeping machinery filled her brain as the fog slowly began to clear, her muscles growing restless and aching for movement.

“Mom... _mom_...” she heard a voice call out to her again and again, each time sounding more and more insistent. She groaned, bile rising from deep within her stomach, forcing her to jolt herself awake as the need to relieve the burning in the back of her throat became too great. Angella’s eyes strained open, and before she could fully process those surrounding her, she quickly turned and noticed a bedside table. She weakly, but effectively, ripped the drawer open and emptied the contents of her stomach into it.

She felt a hand gently rub small circles into her back as she lifted her gaze from her own vomit, furrowing a brow at the vase full of daisies on the bedside table. She hadn’t ever remembered telling Glimmer her favorite flower.

“Gl...Glimmer?” Angella finally spoke as she shut the drawer — she’d deal with that later — and sat upright in the bed, eyes focusing on her daughter as tears began to gather. Glimmer threw her arms around her mother and sobbed, nearly climbing on the bed with her in an attempt to secure the tightest hold she could. “Oh, Glimmer...”

“Mom,” the former princess choked out, sniffling and burying her face into Angella’s hair and letting her tears fall freely. They stayed in their embrace for what felt like hours, reveling in each other’s presence before Glimmer finally released her mother. “Someone else is here to see you too.”

_“Adora...”_ Angella thought wistfully for a moment as she remembered the hand rubbing her back a moment ago, smiling as she turned toward the other side of her bed. Her body was stricken with complete surprise and she reached out a shaky hand, resting it against a bearded cheek. “M...Micah?”

Placing a hand against his wife’s, Micah beamed as he looked down at her. “Hi, Angie.”

Glimmer couldn’t contain her excitement any longer as she teleported between her two parents and pulled them both into a giant group hug. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt such pure happiness, and while she knew the moment would eventually end and real life would have to return, the young woman decided she’d enjoy it as long as she could.

“These daisies are quite cheerful,” Angella noted as Micah and Glimmer settled back into their places by the sides of her bed. “I don’t recall having them grown in the gardens before — was that your doing, Glimmer?”

Her daughter averted her eyes and scratched the back of her neck, fidgeting slightly. “Well, they were actually Shadow Weaver’s idea. She...grew them.”

Before Angella could respond a sharp, knife-like pain radiating down her spine, ripping a scream from her throat and causing the machines around her to spring to life. Glimmer rushed to the other end of the room, scouring through a few drawers before returning with a full syringe. She nodded at her father, Micah placing a steadying hand on his wife’s chest and leaning her forward to expose her back to Glimmer.

“Just take a deep breath, Angie. Entrapta said this may happen, you’re going to be okay,” he instructed as he kept his voice low and soothing. Angella, bottom lip tightly trapped between her teeth as she suppressed her screams, nodded. She winced as the needle penetrated the skin at the base of her neck, taking a few deep yet ragged breaths as the pain was slowly numbed away. 

Back stiff from months between dimensions and days stuck in bed, Angella sat up straight, rolling her shoulders for a moment before attempting to spread her wings for some much needed stretching.

When the tension in her shoulder blades was still present, the former queen frowned and furrowed her brow, rolling her shoulders once more and flexing the muscles that traveled up and down her spine and through her wings.

“Mom...” she snapped her gaze toward Glimmer and gave her daughter a distraught glance. Had the medicine she was injected with acted that quickly? “I...I wanted to wait to...to tell you-”

“Tell...tell me _what_?”

Glimmer shot a look to her father who nodded in return. “Let’s get you up and out of bed first, Angie.” Offering his arm, Micah carefully helped Angella swing her legs off the edge of the bed till her feet touched the ground. She was unstable, barely able to stand even with the assistance, but with her husband holding up much of her body weight, the woman was able to slowly be guided toward the mirror hung against the wall.

Angella was thankful Micah was taking the brunt of her weight off her own two feet, because as her reflection came into full view, she most _definitely_ would have collapsed. Sprouting out of her spine were jagged and bony versions of her once majestic set of wings, feathers long gone and much of the general structure deformed.

Feeling his wife’s shaking body, Micah knelt down and let her fall into his arms, pulling her head close to his chest as she cried harder than she had since the day she thought he had perished. She melted further into the embrace when she felt her daughter’s arms wrap around her from behind, Angella letting herself fully fall apart.

___________________

_“Adora, there’s something I have to tell you.”_

_“Mmmmm, is that really what you want to be doing_ **_right_ ** _now? Talking?”_

_Angella smirked, lulling her head to the side and allowing Adora better access. The blonde scraped her teeth down the exposed skin, suckling for a moment at the queen’s collarbone before pulling away, satisfied at the dark pink spot forming. Leaning in for a kiss, Adora sighed as a hand was placed on her chest._

_“I’m serious,” Angella clarified, though the goofy smirk across her lips let Adora know her attention was not unwanted._

_Scooting back to give her partner some room, Adora nodded and folded her hands in her lap. “Sorry, I know I’m getting ahead of myself, I haven’t even...transformed yet.”_

_Angella cupped Adora’s face in her hands and placed a chaste kiss on the girl’s forehead, smirking. “How many times do I have to remind you, I like_ **_Adora_ ** _just as much as I like_ **_She-Ra_ ** _. You’re one and the same.”_

_Face darkened in a mix of embarrassment and arousal, Adora nodded before placing a hand gently on Angella’s knee. “What did you wanna talk about?”_

_Averting her eyes and pursing her lips, Angella contemplated her words carefully. “It’s...about my past relationship.”_

_“With Micah? Yeah, I sort of know about that one.”_

_“No, not Micah,” Angella smirked with a small chuckle, taking a deep breath before continuing, “my relationship...before I met Micah.”_

_~_

Adora shook her head and forced herself back into reality, watching from afar as Shadow Weaver sat in her garden and read. It was odd, seeing her former commander in such a state of relaxation. The blonde felt a slight twinge of guilt that she hadn’t checked on the sorcerer’s well being sooner, but she figured now was as good a time as any.

“Mind if I join you?” she questioned, pulling out the chair opposite Shadow Weaver after receiving a nod of affirmation. “What are you reading?”

Shadow Weaver looked over the edge of her book, sighing before saving her page and placing it against the table between herself and Adora. “Am I to assume you came to me for something _other_ than a reading suggestion?”

“Observant as always,” Adora jeered, noticing the bottle of wine and glass placed ever-so-close to her former mentor. “Do you...have a spare glass?”

Shadow Weaver raised a brow before nodding, a bit hesitant as she stood for a moment and walked toward a large picnic basket on the other side of the garden. Flipping it open and pulling out the intended item, she brought it back to the table before pouring Adora a glass and topping off her own.

“Are you...wearing-”

“Finish the question and I will drink both of these glasses _alone_.”

Adora put her hands up in defense. “Alright alright, sensitive topic I guess.” She grabbed her glass by the stem and took a small sip, nodding in approval before looking back up at a now sitting Shadow Weaver. “Thanks.”

An odd, yet peaceful moment passed between the two former Horde members as they both sipped at their respective glasses of wine. Swirling her alcohol before placing the drink back on the table, Adora was the first to break the silence. “Angella woke up today. Just a few hours ago.” When Shadow Weaver only gave a hum in response, the blonde pressed on. “The...daisies were a nice touch.”

Though she was looking down at her own serving of wine, Adora felt the air around them thicken. “Her majesty asked for my opinion on a...cheerful bouquet.”

“And you just _happened_ to pick Angella’s favorite flower?”

Shadow Weaver’s eyes shot up — if she had been a bit suspicious before, Adora’s sarcasm was just confirmation. “What did she tell you?”

“Have you visited her yet?” Adora asked, avoiding the previous question and taking another sip of wine before looking off in the distance at the various fauna surrounding them. “I...haven’t built up the courage to yet, and as much as I don’t _want_ to confide in you I...think you’re the only one who’ll understand.”

Shadow Weaver hated this — if she had her magic she would have just forced Adora to stop beating around the bush and tell her what she wanted. What did she _mean_ she was the only one who’d understand? Understand _what_? They had nothing in common when it came to their relationships with Angella, unless-

“You...had relations with her,” Shadow Weaver finally spoke, surprised at how calmly her words rolled off her tongue. If it had been anyone else other than Adora telling her this she would have...well, it was safe to say that person would be lucky she was powerless.

“And I _know_ you loved her.” Adora narrowed her eyes, finishing off her drink and taking in the woman in front of her. “I know about Mystacor, I know about your relationship, I know about _all_ of it.” The blonde broke eye contact first as she shifted in her seat. “You loved someone but when you thought it could never work, you didn’t care who you hurt. Is that why you were so insistent on keeping Catra and I apart as cadets?”

“Catra was always too dependent on you, Adora. Her... _obsession_ with you was never healthy.”

“Like your obsession with Angella?” Adora refused to back down — ever since Angella had told her of her and Shadow Weaver’s past, the blonde had eagerly awaited the right time to interrogate the older woman about it. “So you spent _years_ torturing Catra because you were mad at yourself — does that sound about rig-”

Adora jumped in surprise when Shadow Weaver stood from her chair, fuming as she looked down at the blonde. “Is this what the rest of my existence is going to be like? Being... _reminded_ of every atrocity I’ve ever committed?”

“Sit down and stop shouting,” Adora commanded, her eyes staying trained on Shadow Weaver even as the woman took her seat once more. “I didn’t come here to argue about Catra anyways, but I’ve waited _years_ to point out the similarities.”

“Well, congratulations on the _fantastic_ use of deductive reasoning. You always were bright.” Though her tone was harsh, Adora sort of enjoyed hearing Shadow Weaver become short with her. It was a nice change of pace to the pedestal the woman had placed her on for so many years.

“You never answered my initial question. Have you visited her?”

“...no. And I don’t necessarily see a reason as to why I _should_.”

Adora pushed herself away from the table before standing, looking down at Shadow Weaver and nodding. “Well, you should. Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow but...I think she would appreciate it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a patient to visit.”

Shadow Weaver watched as the blonde retreated toward the castle, a sense of guilt washing over her.

_“I won’t prove you wrong, Adora. I owe you at least that much.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been really pumping out chapters (8-10 pages each) every day since first posting, so the next update might take a little longer (like three days, not THAT much longer I swear). I like this chapter, don't get me wrong, but my brain is starting to fry a bit and we've barely scratch the surface of what this story will bring. (Small spoiler, and upcoming chapter will show us what the other Rebellion members have been up to all this time)
> 
> Once again, thank you all for the awesome reviews, kudo, subscriptions, however you're showing me you like the story! Comments are definitely my favorite because interacting with readers really makes my day.


	9. The Wounds We Heal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora finally builds the courage to visit Angella.

_A few days had passed since Adora’s less than ideal conversation with Light Hope, and the blonde was relieved to have avoided running into the queen at any point since their awkward encounter. The Best Friend Squad had met up on several occasions to train and plan out the Rebellion’s next move after the Northern Reach, and while eluding Glimmer proved to be a bit more difficult, Adora forced herself to stay friendly and upbeat at all times. She had no intention of bringing up the incident with Angella to anyone anytime soon, if_ **_ever_ ** _._

_Adora tossed and turned in her bed, a growl from her stomach rippling through her body — after another long day of training and forcing a smile, she had once again excused herself to her room before dinner. Sighing and succumbing to her more basic instincts, the blonde slipped on a pair of sandals and began her trek to the kitchen._

_Every step seemed to echo through the dark, empty halls of the castle, and by the looks of the sky out the various windows lining the walls, Adora guessed it was well past midnight. She placed a hand on her stomach in a vein attempt to calm the hunger pains radiating from it. When she thought back, she realized it had been well over half a day since she had a real meal. The blonde smirked as the large doors to the kitchen came into view, throwing them open and immediately freezing when she noticed she wasn’t alone._

_Angella sat completely frozen and wide-eyed at the intrusion, fork halfway to her mouth as she sat at the hightop island in the middle kitchen eating what appeared to be some sort of cake. The two women stared blankly at one another for a moment, hardly expecting to run into the other at this time of night. Had they simply, by complete coincidence, missed each other the last few nights Adora had snuck a late night snack?_

_“I can-”_

_“It’s not what it-”_

_They both paused after attempting to speak first before Adora — though_ **_extremely_ ** _uncomfortable — smirked. “‘It’s not what it looks like’? Are you plotting something because it looks like you’re just eating cake.”_

_Angella chuckled lightly while placing her fork back against the plate. “Well, maybe it is exactly what it looks like.” There was a long silence and Adora could tell the queen was deep in thought, her features the slightest bit contorted. “Do you…care to join me?”_

_It was a terrible idea, really, when Adora weighed the pros and cons of the offer. She looked over Angella for a moment, swallowing hard as she noticed the monarch clad in a dark purple night robe. She_ **_assumed_ ** _she had clothing on underneath and the extra fabric was for decency-sake, but the blonde couldn’t help but wonder if there was only soft skin present beneath. “S-Sure, lemme grab another fork.”_

_As she rummaged through the silverware drawer, Adora could_ **_feel_ ** _the queen’s eyes burning into her, and the former soldier quickly regretted forgoing a robe of her own — the tank top and loose boxers she wore were less ideal when in the company of royalty. Pulling a fork out of the drawer and shutting it with a bump of her hip, Adora took a seat across from Angella and awkwardly smiled before digging in to the cake in front of her._

_A few moments passed in silence as the two women ate, never making eye contact but stealing glances at the other frequently._

_“You’ve been avoiding me, haven’t you, Adora?” Angella finally questioned, though her eyes stayed trained on the cake at the center of the two._

_“Can you blame me?!” Adora stiffened, having responded without any real thought before hand. “Sorry, I just…well, no, I guess that is what I meant — can you?”_

_“No, and…I admit, I have not made much of an attempt to get you alone since the other day.” Angella flushed a bit at her choice of words, but continued, “which I do want to clarify, was in no way, shape, or form unappreciated.”_

_Adora perked up, finally deciding to look up at the queen and blushing when deep lavender eyes stared back at her. “You…you don’t have to say that. I was out of line, your majesty.” She noticed Angella shift slightly before averting her eyes and_ **_oh god, had she liked being called ‘your majesty’?_ **

_“I don’t lie, Adora. It’s the one thing I feel I’ve done_ **_right_ ** _as ruler of Brightmoon. I…” Angella trailed off, lips pursed tightly together as she folded her hands on the surface in front of her. “I don’t know where to go from here, truly. And if it was a spur of the moment reaction, then that is completely acceptable as well.”_

_“It wasn’t,” Adora answered, face a bit more stern than a moment before. “The uh…She-Ra…related…parts were. That…well, I still don’t really know what_ **_that_ ** _was.”_

_“That’s…a bit flattering.” Angella’s face darkened at the honest admission and the laugh it earned from Adora. “You are very special to me, Adora. You are smart, kind, brave, and one of the most honest people I have ever had the pleasure of getting to know. You just…command the attention of the room whenever you enter and it’s intoxicating.”_

_“There’s a ‘but’ in there somewhere, right?” Adora didn’t mean for her voice to come out as quietly or as weak as it did, but after a slew of very personal compliments, she couldn’t muster much else._

_Angella gave a small smile, reaching across the table to take Adora’s hands within her own. “You know all the reasons I could list. I want you to be happy, Adora. I understand that, beyond other things, I’m in a commanding position, and the last thing I would want to do is somehow make you feel_ **_pressured_ ** _into anything more than a professional relationship. So I’m asking you…what do you_ **_really_ ** _want?”_

_“I_ **_really_ ** _want to kiss you right now.”_

_~_

“Oh, I thought you were going to see Angella,” Catra questioned as she entered her and Adora’s shared bedroom, the latter lounging on the bed as she stared up at the ceiling. The brunette scoffed, sitting next to her girlfriend on the edge of the mattress. “Or did you chicken out? You big baby.”

Adjusting her body so her head could rest on Catra’s lap, Adora rolled her eyes. “Glimmer and her dad were in there when I swung by — figured I’d wait a bit and then go.”

“Ah, needed that _alone_ time, I get it.”

The blonde raised a brow. “Did you make a joke...about me with... _someone else_?”

“Tch, well...maybe I’m just... _shut up_.” Catra absentmindedly began massaging Adora’s scalp with her nails, smiling when the blonde let out a content sigh.

“No no, maybe you’re what?”

“Maybe I’m...confident...in our relationship...or something.” Catra could feel the heat rising to her cheeks as she looked away from her girlfriend, bracing for some sort of laugh in response. When she felt Adora shift off her lap, she turned back toward the blonde, letting a yelp out as she was tackled to the bed. “Ugh, get _off_ of me,” she laughed, trying to dodge an onslaught of kisses.

“That was just so _mature_ of you, I’m suddenly and uncontrollably _infatuated_ with you.” Adora continued her attack for a few more moments before landing one long kiss on Catra’s lips, smirking into it before pulling away and hoping off the girl. Crawling completely off the bed and helping her girlfriend to her feet as well, the blonde headed toward the door. “Alright, they’re probably gone by now. What are you gonna do while I’m with Angella?”

“Pfft, I do have my own life apart from you, you know?” 

Adora chuckled as she began her way out of the room, looking back over her shoulder and quipping, “I _highly_ doubt that.”

Flipping Adora off until the door was fully closed and she was left alone, Catra frowned. “Yeah, I highly doubt it too. Melog? Melog, I _know_ you’re in the room.”

_“Prrrrrrmmmm,_ ” a voice seemed to coo from nowhere, a moment passing before Melog phased into view, perched at the very top of one of the tallest dressers in the room. _“Mmmrowwwwww?_ ”

“No, I’m not mad, but I need your help.”

_“Rrrrrrroooow.”_ Melog pointed out, hoping down from her hiding place and nuzzling against Catra’s legs.

“It is _not_ a bad idea. Besides, she’ll never know anyways.”

Melog let out a sigh as she stood next to her companion, waiting till she felt Catra’s hand on her back before becoming transparent once more. Letting out another trill of protest — which went ignored — the creature allowed herself to be led as the duo began following closely behind Adora. Tailing the blonde proved to be a rather simple task, minus the ten minutes Catra and Melog spent following the princess as she got herself lost in the castle’s endless hallways. 

Their journey finally came to an end once Adora stood stiffly in front of an indistinguishable door, Catra narrowing her eyes as her girlfriend took a few deep breaths before entering. Motioning to Melog wordlessly, the two crossed the hall and hovered right outside the room.

_“Prrrrrrrow! Mmmmmoooowww._ ”

“I’m not being unreasonable!” Catra defended in a harsh whisper, placing her ear to the door and waiting for the conversation to begin. “What if they talk about me? Or what if Adora decides she still has feelings for her? Or...or they start _fucking_ and I-”

Slowly taking a step away from the door, Catra sighed, burying her face in her free hand. “What am I doing?” she grumbled into her palm before looking at Melog and nodding. Instantly, both felines dissolved back into opacity. 

_“Mrrrrrrm._ ”

“Don’t patronize me, let’s...let’s just...go do something else before I change my mind.”

________________________

Looking up from the book she had been reading when she heard someone enter the bedroom, Angella felt her entire body perk when her eyes locked onto Adora’s. There was a moment of uncertainty that lingered, an array of emotions palpable in the air as the blonde made her way closer to stand next to the former queen’s bedside.

“And here I thought you were avoiding me again,” Angella joked with a small smile, fighting the urge to brush a stray strand of blonde hair back behind Adora’s ear. Regardless of her desire to make any sort of physical contact with the woman standing next to her, Angella understood that things had changed, even without being told. She had been gone for months, the war had ended, and with Catra living in Brightmoon with the others, she assumed the inevitable had occurred. And with Micah back from Beast Island — a fact she had only recently discovered — there were various other factors at play.

“Can you blame me?” Adora choked out, tears quickly welling up in her eyes as she threw her arms around Angella and bawled into the crook of her neck. Snaking her own arms around the blonde and tightening the embrace, the older woman let her own unshed tears fall. As much as Angella knew their relationship ended the day she disappeared, it did not stop the dull ache in her chest that only grew when Adora pulled away to take a seat. 

Leaving a single hand on the bed and intertwining her fingers with Angella’s, Adora relaxed a little further into her chair as she looked over the woman in front of her. She held back a recoil when she noticed the edges of the former queen’s wings — she had only seen them bandaged when the woman was first brought back to Brightmoon, but it was a different beast to see them bare.

“It was definitely...an unexpected consequence,” Angella admitted as she noticed Adora’s stare.

“S-Sorry, I shouldn’t be...I-I mean not that there’s anything _to_ stare at! Wait, no, I...I didn’t meant like there’s nothing there, more that it...it really doesn’t look that bad-”

The older woman let out a chuckle, silencing Adora as she gave the blonde’s hand a squeeze. “I’m happy you’re here.”

“I’m happy you’re okay. What was it like, you know, being between dimensions?”

“It’s...hard to describe, honestly. I can only assume it is similar to someone waking from a long bout of unconsciousness — all of a sudden I was aware of my surroundings before being pulled back toward, and carried out into, this reality again.” Angella’s eyes wandered to the vase of daisies by her bedside as she let out a sigh. “In all honesty, I thought I was going to die right on the other side of the portal. If...if Shadow Weaver had been summoned before me, or the Rebellion decided to not summon her at all...”

Adora pursed her lips. She had spent a few nights deep in thought on the whole matter, quickly understanding that bringing Shadow Weaver back was the only reason Angella made it out through the portal at all, let alone _alive_. Hearing her suspicions confirmed however...well, she was surprised her old mentor hadn’t used it as leverage to keep her magical abilities. 

“Glimmer thinks I’m still in too weak of a state to fully be told what happened in my absence — why Shadow Weaver was trapped in the first place, how peace was finally achieved in Etheria...how long _Catra_ has been on the side of the Rebellion.” Angella couldn’t help the small grin that painted itself on her lips at Adora’s sudden blush. Sure, it was incredibly painful to have had a relationship end so suddenly, but the former queen had always been clear she wanted Adora to be happy above all else. “Please, tell me everything.”

________________________

Trudging through the overgrown outskirts of Plumeria, Catra sighed in relief as the small commune slowly came into view just over the hill she and Melog stood on. Taking in a deep breath in preparation for the onslaught of surprised pleasantries — _‘Catra, how harmonious that you’ve decided to continue your meditation journey’_ — the brunette and her companion continued their trek toward Perfuma’s personal abode. 

Finally reaching the princess’s front door, Catra gently knocked and patiently waited to be welcomed inside. When a few moments passed with no signs of response, she rapped the door once more — a little less patient and a little more forceful. Her ears perked when she heard a yelp from inside, turning toward Melog and raising a brow. 

“ _Mrrrowww?_ ”

Before Catra could respond, another muffled squeal emanated from the other side of the door. Without thinking — or announcing her forced entry — the former soldier kicked down the barrier with one swift move, readying a battle stance before the dust even cleared. 

“Perfuma! Are you okay?! You didn’t greet me with snacks and I got worri-” Catra cut herself short as she made eye contact with not only Perfuma, but Scorpia as well. The trio blinked silently at one another, no one brave enough to speak the first word.

Sitting awkwardly on one of the princess’s tree stump chairs placed around the kitchen table, Scorpia’s tail was wrapped tightly around Perfuma as her face darkened to the color of her shell. Perfuma, straddling the larger woman with her fingers buried deep in white hair, slowly retracted her hands as she kept eye contact with Catra.

“I uh...heard a noise but... _obviously_ misread the er...I’m gonna go.” Catra struggled to string her words together, face bright red as she slowly began stepping backwards toward the door. “I’ll uh...come back to meditate some-”

“Wait!” Perfuma shouted as she planted a kiss on Scorpia’s forehead before wiggling out of the embrace. “You...came to meditate... _again_?” 

“Look, I can just go-” Catra was quickly cut off by strong arms wrapping tightly around her body, lifting her off of the ground.

“Oh, Wildcat, look at you! Growing up so fast with your self-care and personal responsibilities!” Scorpia exclaimed as she continued the loving — but harsh — embrace.

_“Geez, these two are meant for each other,”_ Catra thought humorously as she allowed her body to be crushed. She let out a sigh of relief when Scorpia placed her back on the ground — the brunette could have _sworn_ her back cracked when she did so.

“Oh!” Perfuma exclaimed as she clapped her hands together, rushing toward her cabinets and pulling out three small cups. “Let’s have tea first!”

________________________

“...and then you woke up, and...well, now we’re sitting here and talking,” Adora smirked, finishing her explanation of the events from the last few months to Angella. She waited patiently as the monarch took in all the information that had just been thrown at her — her daughter’s newfound relationship and husband’s return were the only bits of detail she had previous been given.

“I...can say with utter certainty that I don’t even know where to begin,” Angella finally spoke, using her arms to sit herself upright a bit better as she continued processing.

“We could start with the Horde Prime stuff? Oh, or there’s Shadow Weaver and Castaspella’s little field trip!” Angella’s slight bristle was not lost on Adora, who merely grinned before continuing, “or there’s Shadow Weaver’s dramatic-as-always sacrifice, or new She-Ra, or-”

“As new She-Ra,” Angella interjected, “do you still have certain...”

“‘Assets’?” Adora chuckled, imagining Catra bashing her over the head for using that word. “Oh yeah, that...that didn’t go away.”

There was a long, and admittedly awkward pause before Angella spoke once more. “I realize now that that was an odd first follow-up question.”

“A _lot_ odder things have happened to me lately, I didn’t even notice.”

“I know while we...were together, we kept a rather tight lip on all of it. The...relationship, I mean.I hope you confided in _someone_ after my demise. That’s...quite a lot to keep on your chest alone.” Angella looked down at her own two hands clasped in her lap — she knew this conversation would happen eventually.

“I...well...I didn’t _mean_ to tell anyone, per say, but...I sort of...shouted about it...at...Glimmer.” Adora kept her eyes focused down, she knew if she looked up, Angella’s face would be pale and shock-ridden. “It was really tough on all of us, after the portal incident and it just...came out. She’s...she’s not mad — I mean she _was_ , you know...more at the fact we kept it a secret but...she’s not anymore.”

“To be honest, it’s a bit of a relief to not keep that a secret any longer. It’s safe to assume that Micah-”

“-has no idea, no.” Adora reached up and scratched the back of her neck, finally making eye contact with Angella. “Look, I don’t...want to tell you how to... _relationship_ or anything but...with both of you back there’s some...expectations.”

Angella nodded and paused in thought for a moment, eyes seemingly glazed over. “You have nothing to worry about, Adora. I’ll...handle my affairs accordingly.” Her face darkened when she noticed Adora’s grin. “I did _not_ mean ‘affairs’ in that sense!”

Adora raised her hands in defense and laughed. “Sure, sure, whatever you say.” The blonde’s smile grew as Angella playfully swatted at her shoulder.

“So I’m to assume Catra was redacted from much of that retelling for my benefit, yes?”

Adora’s smile dropped as she shifted in discomfort. “I’m...sorry. I know we never, you know, _ended_ things before you left.”

“Adora, look at me.” The blonde followed her instructions and felt a weight lift off her chest at the soft gaze she received. “I would not be a very good person if I expected you to wait around for me, now would I? I would also be quite the hypocrite given Micah’s disappearance.”

“Yeah, but-”

“And I _know_ this is where you were meant to be.” Angella reached a hand out to cup Adora’s face, smile never fading. “I always knew when, and if, Catra joined the Rebellion, that would be the end of...this,” she said as she gestured between their bodies. “And I’m content with it, I truly am. You have, and continue to, deserve the world, Adora.”

Angella was surprised when two arms were wrapped tightly around her, but the contact was not unwelcome. A part of her would always treasure what they had had — it was a much needed bond at both of their most vulnerable points — but she knew the time had come for Adora, and herself, to move on.

“Adora, can I ask you for a favor?”

________________________

“Can I... _take_ some of this catnip back to Brightmoon with me? Because _man_ is it relaxing.”

“Think of it as incentive to keep your meditation journey moving forward,” Perfuma said with a grin, sipping from her own mug as the trio sat around the kitchen table. Melog — having been given a much smaller amount of the catnip — was curled in the corner where a ray of sunlight shone in from the window, completely asleep.

“Are you...are you sure I should be here with you guys? ‘Cause I really can leave and you know, go back to the Frightzone because _man_ , is there a _lot_ of work to be doing in my old kingdom right now and I don’t want to-” Scorpia quieted down as Perfuma’s hand came to rest upon her claw and the blonde gave her a warm smile.

Finishing off her tea and placing her cup back on the table, Catra stood from her tree stump. “Scorpia, you stay — I actually should get back to the castle anyways.”

“But we haven’t meditated yet!” Perfuma protested as she watched Catra gently wake Melog. “Don’t you have things you need to reflect on?”

The brunette smirked as she looked between Scorpia and Perfuma. “Nah, it was actually just...nice to hang out with...my... _friends_ ,” Catra choked out, putting a hand up when Scorpia sprung out of her chair. “One more step toward me for a hug and I take it back.”

“Right, right, makes sense. _But_ I am very much hugging you in _here_ ,” Scorpia emphasized as she pointed to her temple. 

Rolling her eyes but smiling nonetheless, Catra began her trek back to Brightmoon with Melog following closely behind. It only took an hour or so for the duo to reach the borders of the kingdom, the sun just beginning to set over the horizon as they made their way up the front path. Looking ahead of her at the castle entrance, the former soldier couldn’t help but smile.

Adora — or rather, She-Ra — held a tight grip around Angella’s waist, allowing the former queen to rest most of her own weight against her as the pair walked carefully around the front garden of the castle. Catra gave a short wave to her girlfriend when their eyes met, the blonde motioning for her to join them.

It started with an excited jog over, until the realization hit Catra that she had never actually met the queen — at least, not in a formal sense. Her pace soon slowed as dread began to overwhelm her — this was the first time she would be face-to-face with someone she nearly _killed_ , forget about not having had a conversation before.

“Catra!” She-Ra shouted with a smile from only a few feet away, and by the time Catra fully snapped back to reality, she was face-to-face with the former queen and had no where to run. 

Tensing up and unsure of how to proceed, Catra bowed to nearly a full ninety degree angle, staring at the ground as she mumbled, “i-it’s very nice to meet you, y-your majesty.” Her face reddened in embarrassment as she heard Angella giggle, the color only darkening as a hand was placed against her cheek, urging her to stand back up.

“Catra,” Angella began once the girl in question was fully standing, the queen moving her hand to rest on the girl’s shoulder before continuing, “I understand you played a very large role in saving Etheria.”

“Well, I...I’m no She-Ra.”

“No, but I have also been informed you single-handedly saved my daughter from Horde Prime and in doing so were prepared to sacrifice your own well-being.”

Catra blinked — was this woman actually _complimenting_ her? Where was the yelling? Where were the insults? “I guess in...in a way?”

Angella smiled down at her, wincing slightly before She-Ra took a bit more weight off her still weak legs. “You have my sincerest thanks, Catra. She-Ra was just assisting me with a stroll since _Glimmer_ thinks her own mother is too feeble. Would you care to join us?”

Catra — a bit dumbstruck — nodded before taking her spot next to She-Ra as the group continued to leisurely walk the castle grounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this was worth the little bit of a wait! Thank you all for your continued support and I love hearing your thoughts and interacting with you all! Probably be a few days again till next chapter since work has picked up for me.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know how you're liking it so far! As I said in the description, this is going to be a long, multi-chapter story! Check me out on Tumblr (so-bi-the-way) for more content! And thanks for reading!


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